Draculoides mesozeirus Harvey, Berry, Edward and Humphreys, 2008

(Figs. 1–8)

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 5C2329F5-D63C-4B72-9FEA-26BD41F43A84

Draculoides mesozeirus Harvey, Berry, Edward and Humphreys 2008: 182–183, figs. 10, 25–28; Abrams et al. 2019 MPE 106532: 8, fig. 2.

Material examined. Holotype female. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Middle Robe (Borehole M 2ERC027, trap 1), 23.5 km E of Pannawonica, 21°41’5”S, 116°32’27”E, March–May 2005, M. Greenham, D. Kamien and L. Mould (WAM T 63329).

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 ♀, same data as holotype (WAM T 63330); 1 ♀, Middle Robe, Borehole M 2ERC034, 23.3 km E of Pannawonica, 21°41’4”S, 116°32’21”E, March–May 2005, M. Greenham, D. Kamien and L. Mould (WAM T 63328) .

Other material. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: See Harvey et al. (2008); Abrams et al. (2019).

Diagnosis. Males are unknown. Draculoides mesozeirus is phylogenetically (Fig. 2) and geographically (Fig. 1D) most closely related to D. carmillae, D. claudiae and D. nosferatu . It differs from D. carmillae in the posterior position of flagellar seta dl 1 in relation to vl1 (dl1 is anterior to vl 1 in D. carmillae). It differs from D. nosferatu in the short, broad shape of the gonopod (elongated, rectangular gonopod in D. nosferatu). It is currently not possible to distinguish D. mesozeirus from D. claudiae on morphology alone because adults of D. claudiae are unknown and juvenile morphology is not distinctive. Draculoides mesozeirus can be diagnosed from all other Draculoides species that were sequenced at COI and 12S by the 50bp mini-barcodes shown in Figures 3 and 5. Draculoides mesozeirus can be diagnosed from all other Draculoides species that were sequenced at ITS2 (Fig. 7) except for D. nosferatu, D. claudiae and D. carmillae, which are not distinguishable using the ITS2 mini-barcode.

Description. See Harvey et al. (2008).

Remarks. Draculoides mesozeirus is restricted to one of the un-named Middle Robe mesas, located between the mesas inhabited by D. claudiae and D. carmillae, situated east of Pannawonica in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (Fig. 1D).