Oxus (Flabellifrontipoda) striatus ( Cook, 1986 )

Orginal, Harry Smit, 2021, The water mites of Western Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of 13 new species, Acarologia 61 (4), pp. 928-966 : 938

Oxus (Flabellifrontipoda) striatus ( Cook, 1986)

( Figures 6 A-B)

Material examined — 1/0/0, Rowell’s Pool, Mount Frankland South NP, 34°49.120′ S 116°35.657′ E, 34 m asl, 6 Feb. 2019 ; 1/0/0, Boorara Brook at crossing with Boorara Road,

SE of Northcliffe, 34°41.149′ S 116°12.999′ E, 53 m asl, 9 Feb. 2019 ; 3/0/0, Beedelup Brook, downstream of falls, Beedelup NP, 34°25.107′ S 115°52.071′ E, 103 m asl, 10 Feb. 2019.

Remarks — The specimens from Western Australia differ in a number of characters from the specimens from eastern Australia. One of the coxal glandularia is much more distanced from the periphery, and the number of 4-7 swimming setae is lower the ten swimming setae in the populations from eastern Australia. There is also much variation between the specimens from Western Australia. The palp varies from somewhat stocky to slender ( Figures 6 A-B), the length of IV-leg-6 varies from 96-140 (in the holotype 96). As all specimens from Western Australia have the striations on the expanded coxae, they are, for the time being, assigned O. to striatus.

Distribution — Previously reported from Tasmania and Victoria, and reported here for the first time from Western Australia.