Pedrocortesella propinqua P. Balogh, 1985

Hunt, Glenn S., 1996, A review of the genus Hexachaetoniella Paschoal in Australia (Acarina: Cryptostigmata: Pedrocortesellidae), Records of the Australian Museum 48 (3), pp. 223-286 : 272-276

Pedrocortesella propinqua P. Balogh

Figs 10A-C,I, 39, 40

Pedrocortesella propinqua P. Balogh, 1985: 51 , fig. 2A-D.

Pheroliodes propinqua .- Woas, 1992: 144.

Type material. New South Wales: HOLOTYPE adult, ANIC, Barrington Tops , near Salisbury, Nothofagus moorei leaf litter, temperate rainforest, 1520 m, G.B. Monteith, 10 February 1965.

Material examined. New South Wales: AM KS4651O , SEM stub no. S/295, Allyn River Park near crossing of Allyn River, N. of Salisbury, 32°10'S 151°30'E, subtropical rainforest, berlesate bark scraped from trees, G.S.Hunt, 5 October 1993, 1 adult ; AM KS43669 Mount Allyn , near Barrington Tops, 32°08'S 151°26'E bark scraped from Nothofagus , temperate rainforest, G.S. Hunt, 20 Sept. 1993, 13 adults ; AM KS46518 , SEM stub no. S/333 (ill.), same data, 3 adults ; AM KS46511 , SEM stub no. S/132, 15 km S. Kempsey beside Pacific Highway , 32°12'S 151°49'E, dry sclerophyll, berlesate leaf and bark litter from base of Eucalyptus , G.S.Hunt, 18 July 1992, 1 adult ; AM KS43665 , S. of Grafton beside Pacific Highway , 30°00'S 153°06'E, dry sclerophyll, berlesate leaf and bark litter, G.S.Hunt, 18 July 1992, 1 adult ; AM KS46512 , SEM stub no. S/145, same data, 3 adults ; AM KS46513 , SEM stub no. S/151-05 (ill.), S. of Casino beside Casino-Grafton road, 29°06'S 153°00'E, dry sclerophyll, ber1esate leaf and bark litter, G.S.Hunt, 18 July 1992, 1 adult ; AM KS43668 , same data, 1 adult ; AM KS46514 , SEM stub no. S/239, Echo Head Falls , Kanangra-Boyd National Park, 33°59'S 150°06'E, ANIC berlesate 856, litter near creek, L.Hill, 3 October 1982, 1 adult ; AM KS46515 SEM stub no. S/249, same data, 1 adult ; ANIC, same data, 1 adult ; AM KS46516 , SEM stub no. SI 246 (ill.), 9.6 km S. Gilgandra , 31°49'S 148°39'E, ANIC berlesate 89, L.A.Mound, 6 June 1968, 2 adults ; AM KS43667 same data, 3 adults ; ANIC, same data, 6 adults ; AM KS46517 , SEM stub no. S/002 (ill.), Gulpa Island State Forest , Deniliquin, 35°43'S 145°00'E, River Red Gum flood plain, berlesate grass and soil, G.S.Hunt, July 1991, 1 adult ; AM KS43668 , same data but from base of tree in dry plot, 8 adults ; AM KS46519 , SEM stub no. S/338 (ill.), Hartley Vale Beck , 33°32'S 150°14'E, leaf litter at foot of eucalypt in old cemetery, berlesate, G.S. Hunt, Easter 1992, 1 adult ; AM KS43670 , Tilbuster Hill , N. of Armidale, beside the New England Highway , 30°19'S 151°42'E, leaf litter, GS. Hunt, 11 June 1995, 1 adult ; ANIC, 13 km S. of Collarenebri , 29°34'S 148°35'E, berlese extraction Geijera leaflitter, ANIC berlesate 88, L.A. Mound, 5 June 1968, 35 adults plus nymphs ; AM KS46520 SEM stub no. S/432, same data, 1 adult ; AM KS46521 , SEM stub no. S/431, Liverpool Ranges , New England Highway near Murrurundi, 31°45'S 150°48'E, leaf litter, GS. Hunt, 11 June 1995, 1 adult .

Queensland: AM KS46522 , SEM stub no. S/269, Bulburin State Forest , via Builyan, 24°34'S 151°29'E, dry sclerophyll, berlesate bark scraped from trunks and litter, GS.Hunt, 6 July 1993 3 adults ; QM, same data, 1 adult .

South Australia: AM KS46523 , SEM stub no. S/208, 4.8 km W. Parilla , 35°18'S 140°39'E, Mallee, ANIC berlesate 184, R.W. Taylor, 12 January 1970, 3 adults .

Diagnosis. Body medium sized, length about 500-550 Ilm; scalps rarely (if at all) carried by adult; sensillus with long flattened blade; bothridium diamond-shaped; notogaster entirely foveate-reticulate, many foveae with pore; 5 pairs of long notogastral setae, notogaster without caudal notch when viewed from above; broad separation of genital and anal vestibules; genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3, genital setae in arcuate file, level of insertion of ad3 adjacent to proximal 30-40% of anal valve; claw stalk short.

Redescription

ADULT: Body: brown; length ()lm) of 6 eastern coast specimens 520, 530, 530, 540, 550, 550 (mean 537). Cerotegument: crests of reticulations on prodorsum and notogaster and rim of bothridium with stellate tubercles of cerotegument which may coalesce giving a "stitched" appearance ( Fig. 39B ) or "buttressed-wall" appearance ( Fig. 39 ID,F); foveae with scattered granules of cerotegument ( Fig. 39B ). Setae ro and le and notogastral setae usually with heavy, tapering ribbed encrustation of cerotegument along most their length ( Fig. 39 F-I). Legs with strong buttressed walls of cerotegument forming an intricate, irregular "honey-comb" of high relief on all segments. Prodorsum: integument divided into 3 fields: anterior rostral field patterned by relatively loose polygonal reticulations; a larger middle field anterior to median transverse furrow with closely spaced, deep foveae each perforated by a pore and separated from each other by polygonal reticulations of high relief; a bothridial field of more complex topography with carinae and reticulations. le dorsolateral, distance between them about 0.66 distance between ro, not arising from large pit, ro ventrolateral. Pedotectal tooth gradually curving to blunt point. Bothridium closely abutting notogaster but wall not deeply excavated posteriorly ( Fig. 39E ), more or less diamond shaped with angles directed anterad, posterad, mesad and laterad; strong posterolateral carina arising from laterad angle removed from notogaster; sensillus length subequal to interbothridial distance, with long flattened tuberculate blade, broadest subdistally and rounded at end ( Fig. 39D ). Setae in small, set close to mesad angle of bothridium just inside edge of dorsosejugal furrow ( Fig. 39E ), spiniform but largely encased in cerotegument ( Fig. 40E ). Exuvial scalps: none seen. Notogaster: oval, length:width 370:260, 370:260, 390:310, 390:300, 410:310, 425:325. Intramarginal depression suboval or "vase-shaped", broadest and somewhat angular anteriorly, interrupted posteriorly; with steep external margin, internally sloping more gradually to central plateau. Dorsum entirely foveate-reticulate, many foveae with small eccentric pore ( Fig. 39B ). Posterior margin not invaginate when viewed from above, with slight mesal furrow and no prominent carina (though reticulations may become linear) ventral to setae pi when viewed posteriorly. Fissura ia subparallel and im and ip oblique-subperpendicular to sagittal plane. 5 pairs of long notogastral setae; hi widely separated but converging at their tips, each located well inside posterior margin at posterior end of intramarginal depression; pi inserted high on posterior flank, closer together than hi; Ipx, p2x and p3x arise at or just inside posterolateral margin, their insertions seen from above, Ipx closest to fissura ip, inserted lateral to it (Fig. 391). Gnathosoma : pedipalp tarsus with setae (vt) with short barbs, cm and I" barbs very short; apophysis supporting seta aem low; solenidion omega reaching to base of aem. Rutella basally with moderate concave flexure and buttressing, but without pointed mesad process; transverse striations absent ( Fig. 40B ). Epimeral region: with depressed area immediately anterior to genital valves. Genitoanal region: separation of anal and genital vestibules relatively broad but with interruption to ventral plate microsculpture, wide mesal isthmus without strong transverse grooves between the vestibules ( Fig. 40A ). Aggenital and adanal areas reticulate-foveate, some foveae with pores; genital and anal valves with smaller foveae of similar depth on both valves, no pores; posterior margin of anal valves often crenellate. Genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3; genital setae in arcuate file, all except g7 removed from mesal suture, g5 most so; gi long and overlapping, inserted in a notch on anterior margin slightly removed from inner anterior corner of valve; g5 situated at about 0.5 valve length, g6 usually closer to g7 than to g5, g7 inserted in notch in inner posterior corner; setae ag inserted at level between g6 and g7; setae adi immediately postanal, ad2 at or just posterior to posterolateral corner of anal valve, level of insertion of seta ad3 adjacent to proximal 30- 40% of anal valve; ad3 subequal to ad 2 in distance from valve. Legs. Distal apophysis of tibia overlaps about 50% of tarsus. Tarsal cluster of leg I placed distodorsally on a short apophysis, above and slightly proximal to setae te; fi", omega 1 and 2 enclosed in same major rim, omega 1 and 2 widely separated and shorter than fi", hole (presumably cavity containing undevelopedfamulus) visible (arrow, Fig. 1 OC), fi" longer than solenidia; tarsus lacking distal recess for receiving retracted unguinal complex, stalk medium length.

Variation. The number of notogastral foveae perforated by a pore is variable. There are very few in the Mount Allyn population, whereas a pore is present in almost every fovea in the Gulpa Island population. Seta in is more vestigial in the Gilgandra and Gulpa Island populations (riverine plains of western New South Wales) and tends to lack a supporting apophysis (Fig. 101). Aggenital and adanal setae are very long in the Mount Allyn population ( Fig. 40G ), and relatively short in Gulpa Island population. Side barbs on non-eupathidic setae of the pedipalp tarsus are longer in the Gulpa Island population.

Comments. This species is quite variable, both in its morphology and habitat requirements, even within its eastern coastal range. Further material and research may reveal that more than one species exists. For example, the Gulpa Island and Gilgandra populations may belong to a separate species.

This species is morphologically close to P gymnonota Hammer , described from New Zealand ( Hammer, 1966), but differs in lacking a caudal notch in the notogaster and in the shorter length of the stalk supporting the claw complex.

Distribution. Coastal plains and ranges of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland; riverine plains of western New South Wales; Parilla area, South Australia.

Figures

Fig. 39. Pedrocortesella propinqua P. Balogh. A, body, dorsal; B, notogastral integument; C, prodorsum, dorsal; D, bothridium, sensillus and seta in, lateral; E, bothridium and seta in, dorsal; F, caudal region of notogaster, setae hi and pi; G, prodorsum, frontal; H, notogaster, posterior; I, notogaster, posterior, dorsal, arrows right to left label setae hi, pi, lp" p2x, p3x Scale bars: A 200 /lm; C,D,F-I = 50 /lm; B,E = 20 /lm. A,C,E = Mount Allyn; B Harley Vale; D, F-I = Casino.

Fig. 40. PedrocQrtesella propinqua P. Balogh. A, body, ventral; B, subcapitulum; C, detail of chelicera; D, pedipalp tibia and tarsus; E, genital valves; F, genital valves without some cerotegument; G, anal valves. Scale bars: A = 200 /--lm; B,E-G = 25 /--lm; C,D = 10 /--lm. A,D,E,G = Mount Allyn; B = Casino; C = Gilgandra.

Fig. 1. Some structures of descriptive value. A = dorsum of Pedrocortesella augusta n.sp. (integumental sculpturing not shown), B = venter of P temperata (integumental sculpturing not shown); C,D = posterior aspect of Pheroliodes roblensis (after Covarrubias (1968) and Pedrocortesella leei n.sp. (integumental sculpturing not shown); E = tarsus of pedipalp, antiaxial (system of notation after Grandjean, solenidion shown as striped); F = Tibia (distal) and tarsus of leg I, paraxial (system of notation after Grandjean, solenidia shown as striped). Other abbreviations: dsj = dorsosejugal suture; ro, le, in = rostral, lamellar and interlamellar setae; p = pedotectal tooth; ss = sensillus; bo = bothridium; if = transverse furrow; ia, im, ip = anterior, median and posterior fissura; ips = lateral posterior fissura; gla = pore of opisthosomal gland; hi, pi, p2, p3, p2X' p3x, lpp lm = notogastral setae (see Methods); 19s = labiogenal suture; h = seta on mentum; a, m = setae on gena; r = rutellum; gI = first genital seta; ag = aggenital seta; ani = first adanal seta; adI = first adanal seta. Setae on epimera I-IV shown but not labelled.