Heatherella acanthocharis Walter, 1997

Seeman, Owen D., Minor, Maria, Baker, Michelle R. & Walter, David Evans, 2018, A revision of the Heatherellidae (Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata) with a new genus and two new species from Australasia, Zootaxa 4434 (3), pp. 441-465 : 450

Heatherella acanthocharis Walter, 1997

( Figs 30–34 )

Heatherella acanthocharis walter, 1997 : 168.

Diagnosis: With the characteristics of the genus. Adult: sternal shield (bearing st2) rounded anteriorly, without endopodal elements; most ventral setae short, smooth, including setae ZV2–3; setae JV4, ZV4 thickened, barbed; dorsal setae thickened, barbed, without ciliate crests; marginal setae bifurcate but crest small, not highly ciliate; dorsal shield heavily ornamented; idiosomal margin with seven pairs of idiosomatic protuberances (protuberances P - s4 and P -s6 absent), distinct pustule P -s5 present; dorsum lacking seta z2; seta z6 posterior to s6, seta Z1 posterior to S1; seta z5 placed obliquely to seta j5; marginal r -R series setae duplicated, 22 pairs. Female: setae st3 and st4 on single shield. Male: seta av1 on genu II unmodified.

New material examined: 1 female, 1 deutonymph, Queensland, Conondale Ranges, Lobster Creek , 26°40′S 152°39′E, 14 July 1998, D.E. Walter & H. Klompen, ex riparian rainforest leaf litter.

Comments. Our diagnosis above is based on Walter (1997) and the re-examination of specimens held in the Queensland Museum, including the holotype. The new specimens examined are in poor condition but include the only known nymph of H. acanthocharis .

Figures

FIGURES 30–31. Heatherella acanthocharis walter, 1997, scanning electron micrographs. (30) idiosoma, showing sloughed certotegument, scale bar = 100 µm; (31) podonotum, with mostly intact cerotegument (fractured behind setae j3 and laterad z3).

FIGURES 32–33. Heatherella acanthocharis walter, 1997, scanning electron micrographs. (32) lateral habitus, with protuberances coloured orange and the enlarged pore (P-s4, white arrow) and raised pustule (P-s5) coloured yellow. (33) detail of protuberance P-S1 (rotated approXimately 45° clockwise); note cleft margin and pores deep within.

FIGURES 34–37. (34) Heatherella acanthocharis walter, 1997, dorsomarginal protuberances, pustules and pores of paratype female (P-s5 pustule; P-s6 pore; P-S1 protuberance), dorsal view of flattened specimen, right side; (35) Aheatherella mira n. sp., dorsomarginal protuberances, pustules and pores of paratype female (P-s5 pustule; P-s6 protuberance with closely associated seta), dorsal view of ventrolateral fragment with broken r-setae, left side; (36) Heatherella osleri n. sp., peritreme of paratype female (ventral view, right peritreme of mite); (37) Aheatherella mira n. sp. peritreme of paratype female (ventral view, left peritreme of mite; sclerotised eXopodal portion of eXopodal-peritrematal shield shaded).