Australiobates plumosus Wiles, 1997

Smit, Harry, 2013, New records of water mites mainly from Vogelkop, New Guinea (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of one new genus and thirteen new species, Zootaxa 3716 (2), pp. 207-235 : 218

Australiobates plumosus Wiles, 1997

( Figure 26 )

Material examined. 0/1/0, Unnamed stream crossing road to Mokwam, West Papua Province, New Guinea, Indonesia, 1° 0 0.608 S 133° 53.863 E, alt. 1480 m asl, 10-xi-2011; 0/2/0, Stream at Demaisi, West Papua Province, 1° 10.405 S 133° 53.548 E, alt. 1692 m asl, 14-xi-2011; 0/2/0, stream Ilik, near Lake Gita, Anggi Lakes, West Papua province, New Guinea, Indonesia, 1° 21.423 S 133° 58.553 E, alt. 1912 m asl, 17-xi-2011.

Remarks. According to Wiles (1997), the second, third and fourth legs have plumose setae. The specimens from Vogelkop and also the specimens published from Papua Province, New Guinea (Smit 2011), however, have plumose setae also on the first leg. The setae of I-leg-5 are very variable, from three short truncate setae to three pointed setae, even within one population. The palps of the specimens from Vogelkop match the description of Wiles (1997), with a slender PIV and the ventral margin with short pointed setae located close to each other.

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 28. Australiobates longisetus Wiles, male: 24. Dorsal view; 25. Ventral view. Australiobates plumosus Wiles, female: 26. I-leg- 4 – 6. Australiobates setosus Smit, male: 27. Genital field; 28. Palp. Scale bars = 50 µm.