Pedrocortesella calmorum, 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 : 246-248

Pedrocortesella calmorum n.sp.

Figs 16, 17

Type material. Western Australia: HOLOTYPE adult, WAM, 13.5 km N.E. of Crystal Head, S.w. Osborne Island , CALM site 1111 , 14°23'S 125°57'E, rainforest litter, CALM staff, 25- 31 January 1989 . PARATYPE adults. WAM, 4 km W. of King Cascade , CALM site 28/3 , 15°38'S 125°15'E, closed forest litter, ANIC berlesate 1078, TA Weir, 12- 16 June 1988, 7 adults ; AM KS43675 , same data, 7 adults ; ANIC, same data, 7 adults (plus series ofnon-type nymphs probably ofthis species) ; FMNH, same data, 7 adults ; CNC, same data, 7 adults .

Other material examined. Western Australia: AM KS46531 , SEM stub no. S/162 (i11.), 13.5 km N.E. of Crystal Head, s.w. Osborne Island , CALM site 1111 , 14°23'S 125°57'E, rainforest litter, CALM staff, 25- 31 January 1989, 2 adults ; AM KS46532 , SEM stub no. SI112 (il1.), Camp Creek , 1 km S. of mining camp, Mitchell Plateau, Kimberleys, 14°51'S 125°50'E, ANIC berlesate 875, J. Balderson, 13 May 1983, 1 adult ; AM KS46534 , SEM stub no. S1151-04 (il1.), Prince Frederick Harbour , "Marun" CALM site 8/4 , 15°00'S 125°21'E, closed forest litter, ANIC berlesate 1081, LD. Naumann, 6- 11 June 1988, 1 adult ; AM KS43676 , same data, 1 adult ; AM KS46533 , SEM stub no. S/341, Augustus Island , CALM site 2611 , 15°25'S 124°38'E, closed forest litter, ANIC berlesate 1082A, LD. Naumann, 11-16 June 1988, 1 adult .

Diagnosis. Body medium-large, length about 600-700 f,lm; scalps rarely (if at all) carried by adult; sensillus with long flattened tuberculate blade; notogaster densely reticulate-punctate but lateral margins alveolate, with caudal notch when viewed from above, 5 pairs of notogastral setae; genital and anal vestibules close; genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3, genital setae in slightly arcuate file, level of insertion of ad3 at about half length of anal valve, adanal setae short; claw stalk short.

Description

ADULT: Body: brown; length of 3 specimens from Western Australia 630 f,lm, 690 f,lm, 690 f,lm. Cerotegument: body generally with thin veneer of cerotegument; reticulations on prodorsum and notogaster and rim ofbothridium with a capping of cerotegument. Setae ro and le and 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 loose reticulations and some indication of carina between setae le and ro; anterior to median transverse groove with very deep foveolae and reticulations of high relief; a bothridial field with prominent reticulated bar between bothridia which rises subvertically from the transverse groove 0.7 distance between ra, not arising from large pit, ra ventrolateral. Pedotectal tooth similar to P propinqua . Bothridium abutting but not closely adpressed to notogaster ( Fig. l6G ), wall more rounded than in P propinqua ; posterolateral carina weak, situated away from notogaster; sensillus length subequal to interbothridial distance, with long flattened tuberculate blade ( Fig. 16H ). in small, set about 0.5 bothridial diameter from bothridium and away from edge of dorsosejugal furrow level with anterior of bothridium, spiniform but largely encased in cerotegument, set in pit in supporting apophysis ( Fig. 16G ). Exuvial scalps: none seen. Notogaster: oval but wide, length:width 470:420, 420:350, 480:400. Intramarginal depression Ushaped, interrupted anteriorly by a raised area continuous with central plateau. Most of dorsum densely reticulatepunctate but lateral margins (and flanks) alveolate ( Fig. 16D,E ). Posterior margin invaginate when viewed from above, without a mesial carina when viewed posteriorly ( Fig. l6F ). Fissura short; ia not seen in SEM or LM, im subparallel-oblique and ip oblique to sagittal plane. 5 pairs of notogastral setae; hl widely separated, each located inside posterior margin; pl inserted high on posterior flank, further apart than hl; lpx, p2x and p3x arise inside posterolateral flank, their insertions clearly visible from above, lpx closest to fissura ip, inserted lateral to it ( Fig. l6D ). Gnathosoma : pedipalp tarsus with setae (vt) and I" with long barbs, cm barbs short; apophysis supporting seta aem moderate height; solenidion omega almost reaching to base of aem. Rutella basally with weak concave flexure and lateral buttressing, without pointed mesad process; transverse striations absent (Fig. 17B). Epimeral region: strongly convex immediately anterior to genital valves. Genitoanal region: separation of anal and genital vestibules relatively narrow with deep transverse grooves and a narrow isthmus between the vestibules (Fig. 17A). Entire venter punctate. Genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3; genital setae in slightly arcuate file, gl slightly longer than other setae, inserted near inner anterior corner; 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; adanal setae short, adl distinctly postanal, more so than P propinqua , ad3 level with about 0.5 length of anal valve. Legs. Tarsal cluster of leg I placed distodorsally on apophysis, above and slightly proximal to setae te; fi" enclosed in its own rim; omega land 2 within a separate rim, widely separated, shorter thanfi", hole (presumably cavity for undeveloped famulus) present; tarsus lacking distal recess for receiving retracted unguinal complex, stalk short.

Variation. The posterior margin of the notogaster is weakly invaginate in dorsal view in the Prince Frederick Harbour specimen. Setae hl are furthest apart in specimens from Crystal Head.

Comments. As well as being close to P subula , this species appears very similar to P hardyi J. Balogh from Wau, Papua New Guinea. This latter species differs in having an adanal seta (probably ad3) placed more anteriorly than in P ealmorum . According to J. Balogh (1968), P hardyi has only one adanal seta visible. P calmorum seems to be also closely related to a species in Japan, probably incorrectly identified and redescribed by Aoki (1984) as P hardyi . This species was also incorrectly transferred to Pedrocortesia , which is now recognised as a junior synonym of Pheroliodes .

Etymology. The specific epithet acknowledges the research effort of the staff of the Western Australian Departmentof Conservationand Land TODO Management (CALM).

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.

Fig. 16. Pedrocortesella calmorum n.sp. A, body, dorsal; B, prodorsum, dorsal; C, prodorsum, frontal; D, notogaster, posterior, dorsal, arrows right to left label setae pI, hI, lpp p2X' p3x; E, notogastral integument and fissura im; notogaster, posterior, dorsal; F, notogastral setae hI and pI, posterior view; G, bothridium and seta in, dorsal; H, bothridium, sensillus and seta in, lateral. Scale bars: A-D 100 /lm; E,H = 50 /lm; F,G 20 /lm. A,D,F,G = Crystal Head; B,C,H = Mitchell Plateau; E Prince Frederick Harbour.