Oxus litoralis, Smit, 2011

Smit, H., 2011, New Species Of Water Mites From New Guinea (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Halacaridae), Acarologia 51 (3), pp. 321-345 : 323

Oxus litoralis n. sp.

( Figure 1 )

Material examined — Holotype female, Pandanus marsh Base G beach, Jayapura, Papua province, New Guinea, Indonesia, 2°31.445’ S; 140°44.503’ E, 30-iii-2010. Paratype female, same data as holotype .

Diagnosis — Coxal field with two pairs of glandularia, PI and PIV relatively long, PV stocky.

Description — Idiosoma 810 (729) long and 527 (486) wide. Coxal field confined to ventral part of idiosoma, leaving a wide dorsal, soft area; this dorsal area without sclerites. Dorsal glandularia and associated seta on same small sclerite. Tip of first coxal plates with a pair of slender, curved setae and a pair of straight setae. Coxal field with two pairs of acetabula (sensu Cook 1986)( Figure 1a ). Genital field 140 long, with three pairs of acetabula. Excretory pore not sclerotized. Lengths of PI-PV: 27, 42, 38, 78, 16. PI and PIV relatively long, PV stocky ( Figures 1 b-1c). Lengths of I-leg-4-6: 78, 100, 110 ( Figure 1d ). Lengths of IV-leg-4-6: 108, 154, 164; distal seta of IV-leg-6 80 long ( Figure 1e ). Second, third and fourth legs with numerous swimming setae.

Etymology — Named for the type locality being situated along the coast.

Remarks — Four Australasian Oxus species have the coxal field with two pairs of glandularia (sensu Cook 1986), i.e. O. australicus Lundblad, 1947 , O. meridianus Lundblad, 1947 , O. rosalindae Wiles, 1997 and O. tenuipes Lundblad, 1947 . The first three species have a stocky PIV, the latter has a similar long PIV but PI of the new species is much longer.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Oxus litoralis n. sp., holotype female: a – ventral view (Scale bar = 200 µm); b – palp (Scale bar = 50 µm); c – palp (Scale bar = 50 µm); d – I-leg-4-6 (Scale bar = 50 µm); e – IV-leg-6 (Scale bar = 50 µm).