Tasmanura Womersley, 1937

Greenslade, Penelope, 2020, Corrections to the description of Tasmanura (Pseudachorutinae), Zootaxa 4894 (2), pp. 278-286 : 279-282

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4894.2.7
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:27B40B9E-601C-403B-8222-88AE9B3FE1B3
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4323808
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B80551-FFD6-5A34-ABEB-FBEBFEFE5570
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Tasmanura Womersley, 1937
status

Treatment

Fig. 1, 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 ; Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 , 1 View FIGURE 1 –16, Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 , 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 ; Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 , 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 ; Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 , 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 . (Figures from some specimens collected from other localities are used to illustrate generic characters where they are obscured on the type specimen). Tables 1–2 View TABLE 1 View TABLE 2

TYPE SPECIES. Tasmanura evansi Womersley, 1937 ( Figs 3–5 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 ) .

TYPE LOCALITY. AUSTRALIA, Female (HT), National Park (now Mt Field ), Tasmania, 3000 feet asl (900m), local coordinates – 42.683848S, 146.591548E December 1936, leg. J.W. Evans. GoogleMaps

Other material of the genus examined all from Tasmania. Slide material: 1 male, Mt Michael , - 41.243100S 147.016550E, 740m asl, in leaf litter, 29.xi.1989, leg. R. Coy GoogleMaps ; 1 male, Franklin River Bridge, 51 km W of Bronte, - 42.364080S 145.697360E, 737m asl, in moss, 3.iii. l985, leg. PG; Projection Bluff , -41.962470S, 147.121850E, 1100m asl, leg. R. Coy GoogleMaps ; 1 male Lake Highway, Quamby Bluff area , 99 km N Bothwell, - 41.67344S, 146.73621E, 750m asl, eucalypt forest, moss and ground litter, 15.ix.1975, C10, leg. J. Ireson. GoogleMaps

Ethanol material. One specimen from each of the following localities: Gordon River, Melaleuca forest, ground litter, 1.iii.1977, 23, leg. J. Maddern; Gordon River, wet sclerophyll, ground litter, 16.ii.1974, 63F1, leg. J. Maddern; Gordon River, rainforest, in moss, 18.ii.1976, 63C2, leg. J. Maddern; Quamby Bluff, moss, Nothofagus rainforest, 13.ix.1977, lg. J. Ireson; Mt Field, Nothofagus gunnii rainforest, 23.iii.1984, leg. P.G.; Franklin River, 5 km W Bronte Park, 4. III.1985, leg. PG.

Specimens photographed but not collected were from: Cradle Mountain, Tarkine Wilderness, Mountain Lodge, all Tasmania (A. Murray, pers. comm.), ( Fig. 1. 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 ).

Redescription of genus (based on re-examination of the holotype and other specimens listed above). Womersley's original description (in italics):

Colour: background pale, dorsally blue, with darker pigmented patches of enlarged secondary tubercles (see Fig. 1.1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 , Fig. 2.8 View FIGURE 2 ), paler legs; sternites white. The dark pigmented patches of cuticle with enlarged tubercles vary in distribution between species.

Size: 1.6mm (HT slightly contracted); up to 2 mm other specimens.

Habitus ( Fig. 1.1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 , Fig. 2. 1 View FIGURE 2 ): broad, dorsoventrally flattened species with laterally expanded paratergites, slightly broader than half body length measured at widest point; digitations and bosses absent; abd V extended posteriolaterally over abd V1; abd VI just visible dorsally, not bilobed; abd V not bilobed but slight indentation centre of posterior margin, anus completely ventral. Intersegmental segments present between th I and II, th II and III and between all abdominal segments to abd II and III but without chaetae. Body often with amorphous white or yellow deposits at reflex bleeding sites at boundary of paratergites and tergites. Antennae about the same length as that of head.

Ratio length to breadth measured at abd III = 1.5:1.

Vestiture: antennae somewhat plurichaetose but otherwise chaetae sparse on body and legs of holotype but other species plurichaetose; body chaetae short, all shorter than segments are long, and smooth, pointed, arranged in groups; th I with 1 + 1 Di, 2 + 2 De, 5 + 5 Dl; no chaeta on intersegments; cuticle dorsally densely covered with prominent, evenly arranged conical, black pigmented tertiary tubercles. S-chaetae long, fine, ratio length to adjacent ordinary chaeta on th II = 4.5:1. Cuticular structures consist of round structures, columnar in form.

Height of cuticular tubercles:distal abdominal VI chaetae = 1:2 (HT)

Antennae: cylindrical to triangular, about half diameter of head in length; antennal III organ with slightly elongated papillae (S chaetae) in a slight groove; flanked by two ordinary? chaeta, Sgv thickened; ( Womersley, 1937 fig.) with two much longer thick chaetae in this position); ant IV with trilobed apical bulb, S-chaetae at least eight, long curved only slightly thickened; ventral file on antenna IV of about 30 short, slightly broadened, blunt chaetae interspersed with numerous short, smooth and acuminate mesochaetae (Fig. 2.5,7).

Head and thorax: buccal cone fairly elongated, wedge shaped, blunt; mandible ( Fig. 2.4 View FIGURE 2 ) elongate with 10 teeth, three basal subequal stronger teeth and 7 apical smaller teeth, maxilla ( Fig. 2.3 View FIGURE 2 ) with two long, thin, lamellae each with about 20 teeth and a third lamella with minute denticles and point at tip; ocelli patch round, pigmented ( Fig. 2.2 View FIGURE 2 ), labrum with 5/4/2/2 from posterior to anterior, 4 most anterior long and fine; eight round equal sized ocelli on each side inserted in a hemispherical cuticular protuberance, postantennal organ with only 4 tubercles observed on holotype but up to 16 elongate tubercles arranged in a single ring ( Fig. 2.2 View FIGURE 2 ) on other species, (4 tubercles were recorded by Womersley) about equal to the anterior ocellus in width on holotype, labium with A,B,C,D present, chaeta A slightly displaced laterally, F much longer than E; small papillated chaeta L present distally on labium ( Fig. 2.6 View FIGURE 2 ); head ventrally with 3+3 chaetae along mid line ( Fig. 2.9 View FIGURE 2 ); clavate tenent hairs absent; empodial appendage absent; claw with small inner tooth, at 0.25 of inner claw length from base ( Fig. 2.10 View FIGURE 2 ). Leg chaetotaxy of holotype in Table 1 View TABLE 1 , more chaetae on other species (trochanter and femur: Fig. 2.11 View FIGURE 2 ). M chaeta present slightly displaced apically, short, fine; two pre-tarsal chaetae present. No pseudopore seen between head and th I in adult.

Ratio tibiotarsus: internal length of claw: distance of internal claw tooth from base of claw = 6:3:1. (HT)

Abdomen: ventral tube ( Fig. 2.12 View FIGURE 2 ) with 4/5 chaetae on holotype, more on other species; rami tenaculum with 2+2 teeth (Fig. 2.13,14), no chaetae on stem; furca reduced to a small bilobed remnant with 5+5 microchaetae (Womersley states that there are only 3 chaetae on the dental remnant but illustrates 3 on one side and 5 on the other, but 5+5 on HT) ( Fig. 2.14 View FIGURE 2 ), mucrones absent; ventral anal lobes with about 14 chaetae plus 2 hr on each lobe; abd VI with six short, distal fine chaetae (HT) ( Fig. 2.15 View FIGURE 2 ).

Female with 12 chaetae, male from Mt Michel with ten chaetae anterior to genital opening.

Comments. The genus differs from all other Australian Pseudachorutinae in the extreme dorso-ventrally flattened body, the expanded paratergites; the reduction of furca to two small setose bulbs, the presence of 8+8 ocelli, the maxilla with two finely toothed lamellae and a third with coarser teeth, instead of smooth lamellae, a PAO with probably variable number of lobes from 4 to12 considering all species, and extremely coarse, pigmented, granulated cuticle. On this basis the genus is here confirmed to be of generic status. A more detailed redescription of the type species, Tasmanura evansi , awaits recollection of more specimens from the type locality.

Table 2 View TABLE 2 lists all genera known that are dorso ventrally flattened with extremely laterally expanded paratergites for comparison with Tasmanura and lists their significant characters. It is noticeable that nearly all genera are from southern regions.