Limnesia (Limnesia) gledhilli, Smit, 2022

Smit, Harry, 2022, New records of water mites of the family Limnesiidae Thor from Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of seven new species, Acarologia 62 (1), pp. 193-222 : 198

Limnesia (Limnesia) gledhilli sp. nov.

Zoobank: 6B036679-A3D6-41B3-9406-413CE473335C

( Figure 3 A-E)

Material examined — Holotype male, Toolona Creek downstream of Toolona Falls, Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia, 28°14′50.63” S 153°10′11.36” E, 16 Nov. 2003 ( QM) . Paratypes: one male, three females ( QM), two males, three females ( RMNH), same data as holotype ; 3 females, one deutonymph, Coomera River upstream of Coomera Falls, Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia, 28°14′7.21” S 153°11′28.81” E, 14 Nov. 2003 ( RMNH).

Diagnosis — Idiosoma with extensive secondary sclerotization surrounding Cx-IV and genital field in male, posterior to Cx-IV in female; Cxgl-4 located on Cx-III close to associated seta. Male: Gonopore large, nearly as long as genital field; Cxgl-3 distanced from Vgl-1.

Description — Male: Idiosoma dorsally 895 (919-936) long and 672 (689-725) wide, ventrally 842 (875-895) long. Integument coarsely lineated. Postocularia on small platelets. Dorsum with a relatively large posteromedial platelet ( Figure 3A ), 186 (194-198) long and

130 (120-134) wide. Gnathosomal bay shorter than fused portion of Cx-I. Cx-I fused medially. Cxgl-4 lying on Cx-III, close to associated seta ( Figure 3B ). Extensive secondary sclerotization surrounding Cx-IV, this sclerotization extending onto lateral margins of dorsum. Genital field 174 long and 184 wide, with three pairs of glandularia, surrounded by secondary sclerotization. Anterior acetabula elongated, posterior two pairs of acetabula more rounded. Gonopore large, nearly as long as genital field, 154 (154-164) long and 66 (64-76) wide. Cxgl-3 distanced from Vgl-1. Length of P1-5: 26, 110, 72, 154, 44. P2 ventrally with a relatively small peg-like setae ( Figure 3C ). Length of I-leg-4-6: 112, 132, 106. Length of IV-leg-4-6: 204, 202, 188. Terminal seta of IV-leg-6 102 long. IV-leg-5 with one long, stiff seta, and IV-leg-4 with two such setae ( Figure 3D ). III-leg-5 with 5-6 thin, relatively long setae along entire segment, these a little more than half the length of segment, which could act as swimming setae.

Female: Idiosoma and integument as described for male, dorsally 883 (895-1000) long and 753 (721-778) wide, ventrally 867 (830-927) long. Dorsum with a posteromedial platelet, 190 (186-211) long and 130 (112-128) wide. Cx-I fused medially. Gnathosomal bay shorter than fused portion of Cx-I. Cxgl-4 lying on Cx-III, close to associated seta. Extensive secondary sclerotization surrounding Cx-IV, this sclerotization extending onto lateral margins of dorsum. Cxgl-3 incorporated in sclerotization, well distanced from Vgl-1 ( Figure 3E ). Genital field 178 long, pregenital sclerite 182 wide. Posterior to genital field a large platelet. Length of P1-5: 22, 134, 72, 155, 44. Palp as in male. Length of I-leg-4-6: 110, 130, 142 (till tip of segment). Length of IV-leg-4-6: 194, 194, 190; terminal seta of IV-leg-6 96 long. Legs as in male.

Deutonymph. Idiosoma coarsely lineated, dorsally 551 long and 470 wide, ventrally 543 long. Along Cx-IV an indistinct small band of secondary sclerotization. Provisional genital field with two pairs of acetabula. P2 without peg-like setae.

Etymology — Named after Terry Gledhill for working 60 years on water mites.

Figures

Figure 3 Limnesia (Limnesia) gledhilli sp. nov., A-D – holotype male, E – paratype female. A – dorsum; B – venter; C – palp; D – IV-leg-5-6; E – venter. Scale bars: A-B, E = 200 µm, C-D =50 µm.