Pedrocortesella augusta, 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 : 235-237

Pedrocortesella augusta n.sp.

Figs lA, 5-7

Type material. Western Australia: HOLOTYPE adult, WAM, Augustus Island, CALM Site 2611 , 15°25'S 124°38'E, closed forest litter, ANIC berlesate 1082A, LD. Naumann, 11- 16 June 1988 . PARATYPE adults. AM KS46535 , SEM stub no. S/355 (ill.), same data as holotype, 1 adult ; WAM, SEM stub no. S/149 (ill.), same data, 3 adults ; AM KS43677 , same data, 1 adult ; CNC, same data, 1 adult ; ANIC same data, 4 adults .

Diagnosis. Body medium, length about 500-600 /!m; scalps rarely (if at all) carried by adult; sensillus with long flattened tuberculate blade; notogaster reticulatefoveate, each fovea with pore, notogaster with slight caudal notch when viewed from above, anteriorly with a mesal groove, 6 pairs of long notogastral setae, seta lm lying well inside lateral margin mesad to most anterior marginal seta; genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3, genital setae in slightly arcuate file, level of insertion of seta ad3 at about 0.5 anal valve length; claw stalk short.

Description

ADULT: Body: brown; length (/lm) S20, S40, SSO, S60. Cerotegument: body generally with thin veneer of cerotegument with irregular raised patches on walls surrounding punctations on notogaster (Fig. SE) and granules on venter ( Fig. 6D,E ). Setae ro am le, notogastral and leg setae with longitudinal wavy ribs of cerotegument. Prodorsum: integument punctate (Fig. SB). le dorsolateral, distance between them about 0.7 distance between ro, not arising from large pit, ro ventrolateral; weak carina between le and ro. Pedotectal tooth stouter than in P propinqua , prodorsum with prominent condyle-like surface dorsal to trochanter 1. Bothridium abutting but not closely adpressed to notogaster (Fig. SB), wall somewhat oval shaped, posterior wall not deeply excavated, posterolateral carina moderately strong, arising away from notogaster; sensillus length subequal to interbothridial distance, with long flattened tuberculate blade (Fig. SC). in small, set close bothridium and at edge of dorsosejugal furrow, encased in cerotegument (Fig. SC,F). Exuvial scalps: none seen. Notogaster: oval, length:width 370:290. Raised lateral margins very sharply delineated from intramarginal depression by distinct line; depression divided into two by mesal saddle; anterior margin with longitudinal mesal groove (Fig. SA,C). Notogaster punctate or foveatereticulate, each small fovea perforated by a large pore (Fig. SE); posterior margin slightly invaginate when viewed from above, without a mesal carina when viewed posteriorly (Fig. SH). Fissura ia subparallel and im and ip obligue to sagittal plane; gla conspicuous and close to im. 6 pairs of notogastral setae; hi widely separated, each located inside posterior margin; pi inserted high on posterior flank, similar distance apart to hi; lpx, p2x and p3x arise just inside posterolateral flank, their insertions easily visible from above, lm arises well inside lateral margin within the intramarginal depression and slightly anterior to p3 but well posterior to both fissura im and gla. lpx closest to fissura ip, inserted lateral to it (Fig. SD), and lm closest to fissura im. Gnathosoma : rutella basally with strong chevron-shaped concave flexure and weak lateral buttressing, pointed mesad processes and transverse striations absent ( Fig. 6B ). Pedipalp tarsus with setae I" and (vt) with very long barbs, cm branches short; apophysis supporting seta acm moderately strong; solenidion omega short, not reaching to base of acm. Epimeral region: epimera IV very strongly convex immediately anterior and lateral to genital valves, though not overhanging them. Genitoanal region: separation of anal and genital vestibules relatively narrow with deep transverse grooves and a narrow isthmus between the vestibules ( Fig. 6A ). Ventral plate punctate. Genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3; genital setae essentially in straight file, gi inserted just inside inner anterior corner, not in marginal notch; g5 situated at about O.S 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, ad3 level at about O.S length of anal valve. Legs. Distal apophysis of tibia overlaps less than 30% of tarsus (Fig. 7B). Tarsal setae (Pl) and (ft) almost entirely enclosed by longitudinal ribs of cerotegument. Tarsal cluster ofleg I placed distodorsally on apophysis, above and slightly proximal to setae tc; fi" enclosed in poorly defined rim; omega i and 2 close together with a separate rim elevated on an apophysis; fi" slightly longer than solenidia; tarsus lacking distal recess for receiving retracted unguinal complex, stalk short.

Comments. The distinct separation of tarsus I setafi" from the solenidia in this species is unusual for Australian Pedrocortesella , as is having six pairs of notogastral setae. The placement of the additional seta is very similar to that in P japonica Aoki & Suzuki (subsequently placed in Hexachaetoniella by Paschoal (1987b) and labelled as seta h2 by Aoki & Suzuki (1970, fig. 1). Further investigation may warrant erection of a new genus for these two species.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the animal's impressive qualities and alludes to Augustus Island on which the species occurs.

Distribution. Augustus Island, Western Australia.

Figures

Fig. 6. Pedrocortesella augusta n.sp. A, body, ventral; B, subcapitulum; C, pedipalp tarsus, antiaxial; D, genital valves; E, anal valves. Scale bars: A = 100 /!m; B,D,E 50 /!m; C = 10 /!m.