Notophthiracarus lewisensis, Niedbała, 2012

Niedbała, W., 2012, An Updated Study Of Ptyctimous Mite Fauna (Acari: Oribatida) Of The Australasian Region With A Description Of Thirteen New Species, Acarologia 52 (2), pp. 183-228 : 206-208

Notophthiracarus lewisensis n. sp.

( Figure 10 A-G)

Material examined — Holotype. ANIC-546, Mt. Lewis, 960 m, 16°35’S 145°17’E, rainforest, 30 Oct. 1976, coll. R. W. Taylor and T. A. Weir.

Measurements of holotype — Prodorsum: length 444, width 308, height 252, sensillum 101, setae: interlamellar 38, lamellar 28, rostral 33, exobothridial 23; notogaster: length 949, width and height 596, c 1 78, h 1 106, p 1 86; genitoaggenital plate 197 × 146, anoadanal plate 252 × 146.

Description — Colour brown. Cuticle very well sculptured, covered with distinct foveae.

Prodorsum with very powerful median crista. Sigillar fields indistinct because of strong sculpture. Sensilla long, rod-like, rough. Setae fine, filiform, smooth.

Notogaster with small anterior and posterior median cristae. Setae fine, filiform, slightly flagellate, smooth and rather short (c 1 / c 1 -d 1 = 0.34). Setae c 1-3 remote from anterior border, setae c 1 and especially setae c 2 more than setae c 3. Between lyrifissures and vestigial setae only ia and f 2 visible.

Ventral region — Setae h of mentum slightly shorter than distance between them. Genitoaggenital plates with nine pairs of genital setae with arrangement: 6: 3. Anoadanal plates each with five pairs of minute setae, adanal setae rather close to proximal border.

Legs — Formula of setae and solenidia of complete type. Setae of femora I situated in one vertical line; setae d small and considerably remote from distal end of segment; setae v’ and v” unusual remote from each other.

Etymology — The specific epithet refers to the locality of this species – the Mountain Lewis.

Comparison to related species — Because of very short setae on the body, the new species looks like Notophthiracarus hammerae Niedbała, 1987 from New South Wales, Notophthiracarus admirabilis Niedbała and Colloff, 1997 from Tasmania, Notophthiracarus brachys Niedbała 2006 from New Zealand and Notophthiracarus samarensis Niedbała , Corpuz- Raros and Gruezo, 2006 from the Phillippines.

Sensillum of Notophthiracarus hammerae is short, club like and setae v" of femora I are absent. Notophthiracarus admirabilis has prodorsum concave posteriorly and spindle-shaped sensilla. Prodorsum of Notophthiracarus brachys does not have median crista, sensilla are shorter and fusiform. Notophthiracarus samarensis does not have so strong median crista of prodorsum, setae c 1 of notogaster situated near anterior margin, setae d of femora I located near anterior end of article and setae v’ and v” situated near each other.

Figures

FIGURE 10: Notophthiracarus lewisensis n. sp. (holotype): A – prodorsum, dorsal view, B – prodorsum, lateral view, C – lateral view of opisthosoma, D – mentum of infracapitulum, E – genitoaggenital plate F – anoadanal plate, G – trochanter and femur I.