Piotaturus bovalus Cook, 1983

Pesic, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Datry, Thibault, 2010, Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the hyporheic waters of the Selwyn River (New Zealand), with descriptions of nine new species, Zootaxa 2355, pp. 1-34 : 26-28

Piotaturus bovalus Cook, 1983

( Figs. 2J , 19A–E , 20 )

Material examined. New Zealand, South Island: Selwyn River near Coalgate, riffle, 26.xi.2003, 0/1/1 (0/1/0 mounted); ibid., 08.iv.2004, 0/1/0; ibid., 04.vi.2004, 1/0/0; Selwyn River near Old Bridge, 11.iii.2007, 0/1/0; ibid., 08.vii.2004, 0/1/0; ibid., 10.ix.2004, 0/0/1; ibid., 04.vi.2004, 0/0/2; ibid., 20.ix.2004, 4/1/3; ibid., 20.x.2004, 3/0/0; Selwyn River near Hororata, 07.vii.2004, 0/0/1; Selwyn River near Coes Ford, 10.iii.2005, 1/0/0 (mounted); ibid., 08.iv.2004, 5/5/1 (1/0/0 mounted); ibid., 20.viii.2004, 2/2/1; ibid., 24.xi.2004, 2/0/4; ibid., 23.v.2005, 2/1/0; ibid., 20.ix.2004, 0/0/1; ibid., 24.xi.2004, 2/0/3; ibid., 08.vii.2004, 0/0/2; ibid., 10.v.2004, 1/0/0; ibid., 04.vi.2003, 0/1/1; Selwyn River near Chamberlain's Ford, 17.i.2005, 2/0/1; ibid., 25.vii.2005, 1/1/5; ibid., 21.x.2004, 1/0/0; ibid., 23.v.2005, 5/1/4.

Morphology. Male (n=2). Integumental pigment absent; eye pigment reduced; dorsal shield ( Fig. 19A ) L 481–487, W 384–406; anteromedial plate L 219–228, W 331–342; anterodorsal plate bearing the postocularia on a small tubercle; anterolateral platelets with one pair of glandularia; a pair of small glandularia lying free in the integument; posteromedial plate with two pairs of glandularia; no pronounced development of hood on anterior end of ventral shield; the surface ornamentation of dorsal shield as in Fig. 2J ; ventral shield ( Fig. 19B ) L 688–697, W 484; capitular bay L 141; anterior coxae broad and roundly pointed; glandularia of fourth coxae located near suture lines between third and fourth coxae; projections associated with insertions of IV-L wide and rounded; posterior end of body highly modified; gonopore hidden in ventral view by a two-parted anteriorly directed and pointed flap ( Fig. 19D ); genital field not distinctly set off from remainder of ventral shield; gonopore ventral; it is not possible to count the number of acetabula in this poorly preserved material but it appears there must be several; excretory pore dorsal, slightly posterior to posterior margin of dorsal shield; palp ( Fig. 19E ): total L 333–345, dL and %L (in parentheses): P-1, 38 (11.4); P-2, 86–90 (25.8–26.1); P-3, 45–46 (13.3–13.5); P-4, 112–116 (33.6–33.7); P-5, 52–54 (15.6–15.7); ventral margin of P-2 with well developed denticles; capitulum L 117; dL of IV-L: 94, 112–116, 78–93, 139–147, 128–138, 91–100; chaetotaxy of IV-L as illustrated in Fig. 20 .

Female. Described by Cook (1983). The females from the Selwyn River are in good agreement with the type specimen; dorsal shield L 491, W 398; anteromedial plate L 205, W 291; ventral shield L 616, W 500; capitular bay L 119; gonopore L 133, W 46; palp: total L 267, dL and %L (in parentheses): P-1, 32 (12.0); P- 2, 68 (25.5); P-3, 36 (13.5); P-4, 85 (31.8); P-5, 46 (17.2); capitulum L 103; dL of IV-L: 74, 82, 57, 92, 92, 85. Remarks. This is the first description of the male of this species. For an analysis of diagnostic characters of P. bovalus see: Cook (1983).

Distribution. New Zealand; previously reported from South Island ( Cook 1983).

Figures

FIGURE 20. Piotaturus bovalus Cook, male: A = IV-L. Scale bar = 100 μm.

FIGURE 2 A – L. Photographs of dorsal shield. A— Colobaturus selwynus Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; B— Taintaturus selwynus Pesic & Smit n. sp., male; C— T. rostratus Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; D— Canterburaturus minutus Pesic & Smit n. sp., male; E— C. novaeseelandicus Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; F— C. cooki Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; G— Abelaturus schwoerbeli Pesic & Smit n. sp., male; H— A. schwoerbeli Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; I— Abelaturus cornophorus Cook, 1983, female; J— Piotaturus bovalus Cook, 1983, male; K— Paratryssaturus cantermus Cook, 1983, female; L— Zelandalbia longipalpis Pesic & Smit n. sp., female.

FIGURE 19 A – E. Piotaturus bovalus Cook, 1983, male: A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = ventral shield; C = idiosoma, lateral view; D = ventral shield, posterior part; E = palp (P- 1 missing). Scale bars = 100 μm.