Pedrocortesella bithongabela, 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 : 240-242

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3853/j.0067-1975.48.1996.431
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4659235
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0387B964-3970-FFC5-FA5E-FDF0FB76F34A
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pedrocortesella bithongabela
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pedrocortesella bithongabela View in CoL n.sp.

Figs 11, 12, 13 B-D

Type material. Queensland: HOLOTYPE adult, QM, Mount Bithongabel, Lamington National Park , 28°16'S 153°10'E, Nothofagus forest, berlese extraction bark and moss from tree trunks and logs, G.S.Hunt, 14 July 1992 GoogleMaps . PARATYPE adults. AM KS43685 , same data as ho1otype, 1 adult GoogleMaps ; AM KS46547 , SEM stub no. SIl02, same data, 4 adults GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Body medium, length about 450-500 /lm; scalps rarely (if at all) carried by adult; sensillus with long flattened tuberculate blade; notogaster strongly reticulate-alveolate; 5 pairs of notogastral setae, arising from pits; genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3, genital setae essentially in straight file, insertion of seta ad3 adjacent to posterior half of anal valve; claw stalk very short.

Description

ADULT: Body: brown; length 465 /lm. Cerotegument: body with conspicuous network of cerotegument reflecting underlying reticulate pattern of integument (Fig. lIA,B). Setae ro and le and notogastral setae without obvious cerotegument. Prodorsum: integument reticulate, carina between le and ro absent; le dorsal and close to anterior ofprodorsum, not arising from large pit, ro ventrolateral. Pedotectal tooth similar to P. propinqua . Bothridium closely adpressed to notogaster (Fig. lIB), wall semicircular in dorsal view, depressed anterolaterally and largely missing posteriorly, posterolateral carina weak, situated close to notogaster; sensillus length about 0.9 interbothridial distance, with long flattened tuberculate blade (Fig. lID), posterior margin of prodorsum forming a smooth arc between bothridia. in small, set close about 0.5 bothridial diameter from bothridial wall, at edge of dorsosejugal furrow, spiniform (Fig. IlB,D). Exuvial sealps: none seen. Notogaster: oval, length:width 330:250. Intramarginal depression oval. Notogaster reticulatealveolate, not perforated by pores (Fig. lIE); posterior margin not invaginate when viewed from above, with a weak carina between setae pI when viewed posteriorly (Fig. 11C). Fissura ia and im subparallel, ip perpendicular to sagittal plane; 5 pairs of short notogastral setae arising from small pits, hI moderately close, each located just inside posterior margin; pI with similar spacing to hI; lpx, p2x and p3x arise just inside posterolateral flank, their insertions visible from above, lpx and p2x subequidistant from fissura ip, lpx inserted posterior to it (Fig. IIG). Gnathosoma : rutella basally with strong concave flexure and moderate buttresses laterally, small pointed mesad processes present, transverse striations absent (Fig. I2C). Pedipalp tarsus setae (vt), I" and em smooth; apophysis supporting aem moderately strong; solenidion reaching beyond base of aem ( Fig. 12D View Fig ). Epimeral region: strongly convex a small distance anterior to genital valves and not tending to overhang them. 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. 12A View Fig ). Ventral plate reticulate-alveolate. Genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:I:2:3; genital setae essentially in straight file ( Fig. 12F View Fig ), g] subequal to other setae, at anterior corner in marginal notch; g5 situated at about 0.5 valve length, g7 inserted well anterior to inner posterior corner in marginal notch; setae ag inserted posterior to g7; setae ad] postanal ( Fig. 12E View Fig ), ad3 level with posterior half of anal valve. Legs. Distal apophysis of tibia overlaps about 30% of tarsus ( Fig. 13C View Fig ). Tarsal cluster of leg I placed distodorsally on apophysis, slightly proximodorsal to setae tc; fi", omega] and 2 enclosed in well-developed almost circular common rim (Fig. I3B), no partition separating fi" from omega] and 2; fi" longer than solenidia; terminal setae tend to be flattened with barbs lining their margins; tarsus with slight distal recess for receiving retracted unguinal complex, stalk very short ( Fig. 13C View Fig ).

Comments. This species is most closely related to P truncata but differs in not having a truncate sensillus. The presence of flattened terminal leg setae in this species is a possible adaptation to arboreal life, perhaps enhancing grip. Flattening also occurs in arboreal Hammeriellidae (see Hunt, 1996c), and in the Liodidae whose species are frequently arboreal.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latinised noun in apposition based on the type locality.

Distribution. Lamington National Park, SE Queensland.