Pedrocortesella obesa, Hunt, 1996

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 : 271-272

Pedrocortesella obesa n.sp.

Figs 10F-H, 37, 38

Type material. Western Australia: HOLOTYPE adult, WAM, SEM stub no. S/421 (ill.), 4.75 km E.S.E. of Margaret River, 33°57'52"S, 115°27'22"E, Marri forest with Agonis flexuosa , berlesate leaf litter, M. Peterson, 8- 14 February 1992 . PARATYPE adult, WAM, SEM stub no. S/157 (ill.), same data as holotype, 1 adult .

Diagnosis. Body small-medium, length about 400-450 /lm; scalps rarely (if at all) carried by adult; sensillus with long flattened tuberculate blade; notogaster punctate, with caudal notch when viewed from above, 5 pairs of notogastral setae, epimera Ill-IV strongly convex anterior to valves and tending to overhang them; genital and anal vestibules close; genitoana1 chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3, genital setae in essentially straight file, level of insertion of ad3 adjacent to posterior half of anal valve; claw stalk short.

Description

ADULT: Body: brown; length of type specimens 430 /lm, 440 /lm. Cerotegument: body generally with thin veneer of cerotegument; reticulations on prodorsum and notogaster and rim of bothridium highlighted with cushion-like tubercles of cerotegument which may coalesce into crests ( Fig. 37D,F ). Setae ro and le with layer of cerotegument giving a granular appearance; notogastral setae without obvious cerotegument. Legs with cerotegument capping the reticulate surface ornamentation which is of much lower relief than in P propinqua . Prodorsum: integument divided into 3 fields: rostral field with reticu1ations; anterior to median transverse groove a somewhat irregular field perforated by pores and with a strong transverse carina; a bothridia1 field with pores on carinae ( Fig. 37B ). le dorsolateral, distance between them about 0.6 distance between ra, not arising from large pit, ro ventrolateral. Pedotectal tooth similar to P propinqua . Bothridium abutting but not closely adpressed to notogaster ( Fig. 37D ), wall somewhat diamond shaped, posterolateral carina weak, situated away from notogaster; sensillus length subequa1 to interbothridial distance, with long flattened tuberculate blade. in small, set about 0.5 bothridial diameter from bothridium at edge of dorsosejugal furrow, spiniform but largely encased in cerotegument ( Fig. 37D ). Exuvial scalps: none seen. Notogaster: oval, length:width holotype 320:250. Intramarginal depression U-shaped, interrupted anteriorly by a raised area continuous with central plateau. Notogaster punctate, punctations tending to be arranged in lines more laterally ( Fig. 37A,F ); posterior margin slightly invaginate when viewed from above, without a mesal carina when viewed posteriorly ( Fig. 37G ). Fissura ia subparallel im subparallel-oblique and ip perpendicular to sagittal plane. 5 pairs of notogastral setae; hi widely separated, each located inside posterior margin; pi inserted midheight on posterior flank, similar distance apart to hi; lpx, p2x and p3x arise just inside posterolateral flank, their insertions visible from above, lpx closest to fissura ip, inserted posterior to it ( Fig. 37E ). Gnathosoma : rutella basally with strong concave flexure and lateral buttressing, without pointed mesad process, transverse striations absent ( Fig. 38C ). Pedipalp not examined. Epimeral region: epimera IV very strongly convex immediately anterior and lateral to genital valves, tending to overhang them. Genitoanal region: separation of anal and genital vestibules relatively narrow with deep transverse grooves and a narrow isthmus between the vestibules ( Fig. 38A,E ). Punctate. Genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3; genital setae essentially in straight file, gi subequal to other setae, inserted posterior to inner anterior corner, not in marginal notch; g5 situated at about 0.5 valve length, g7 inserted anterior to inner posterior corner, not in marginal notch; setae ag inserted at level posterior to g6; setae adi distinctly postanal, more so than P propinqua , ad3 level in posterior half of anal valve. Legs. Distal apophysis of tibia overlaps about 50% of tarsus (Fig. lOF). Tarsal cluster ofleg I placed distodorsally on apophysis, above and slightly proximal to setae te; fi" enclosed in its own rim (Fig. lOR); omega 1 and 2 within a separate rim, widely separated, hole (presumably cavity for undeveloped famulus) present ventral to solenidia (Fig. lOR, arrow); tarsus lacking distal recess for receiving retracted unguinal complex, stalk short.

Etymology. The specific epithet alludes to the prominent bulge which tends to overhang the genital area.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, southwestern Western Australia.

Figures

Fig. 37. Pedrocortesella obesa n.sp. A, body, dorsal; B, prodorsum, dorsal; C, bothridium, sensillus and seta in, lateral; D, bothridium and seta in, dorsal; E, notogaster, posterior, right side, dorsal, arrows left to right label setae hi,!Px, p2x, p3x; F, notogastral integument and fissura im; G, notogaster, posterior view; H, notogastral setae hi and pi, posterior view. Scale bars: A,B,E,G = 100 /lm; C,D,F,H 20 /lm.

Fig. 38. Pedrocortesella obesa n.sp. A, body, ventral; B, subcapitulum; C, rutellum, ventral; D, epimeral region; E, anal valves; F, genital valves. Scale bars: A = 100 /lm; B,D,F = 50 /lm; C,E 20 /lm.