Oxus sennettopsis, Wiles, 2004

Wiles, P. R., 2004, Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from South-East Asia, Thailand and Sulawesi Tenggara (Indonesia): descriptions of new species and new records, Journal of Natural History 38 (17), pp. 2153-2165 : 2154-2155

Family OXIDAE Viets, 1926 Oxus sennettopsis new species ( figure 1 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ”, slide S425”, 9 August 2001, stony, sandy stream, Lawele , Buton, Indonesia, 123‡00’, 55‡7’.

Description. Female: body brown. Total body length 548, height 283, width 274. Ventral shield extending dorsally halfway up the side of the body and posteriorly near to the back of the genital plates forming a distinct genital bay. E4 with long membranes located apically on Ep1, E2 located at anterior end of the dorsal shield and V 1 and V 3 located posteriorly. V 3 lightly fused to the posterior edge of the ventral shield. A1, A2, R 1, R 2, L1, L2, L3, L4, D1–D4, V 2, V 4, lyrifissures and anus lie free in integument. Platelets absent. Genital field located between posterior EpIV in genital bay; two rows of setae located on each genital plate, length 87; three pairs of acetabula. Infracapitulum longer than high with short blunt rostrum in lateral view; length 96, height 49. Pedipalp typical, length PI – V 25, 28, 23, 45, 21. Legs with swimming setae II-Leg-5 11, III-Leg-5 10, IV-Leg-5 7. Length IV-Leg-6: terminal seta 58. Length I-Leg-3–6 38, 53, 59, 64; II-Leg-3–6 62, 66, 89, 83; III-Leg-3–6 57, 79, 106, 89; IV-Leg-3–6 51, 75, 94, 102.

Etymology. This species is named after Dr Matthew Sennett of Buckingham University for his support of water mite research (and his resemblance to the species).

Remarks. The only glandularia incorporated into the ventral shield are E2 and E4 anteriorly and V 3 posteriorly. This species is therefore in the genus Oxus Kramer (Cook, 1986) . [Note Epimeroglandularia 1 sensu Cook, 1986~E2 sensu Wiles, 1997a and that E4 are not acknowledged by Cook (1986: 28).] Oxus sennettopsis belongs to the O. pictus /dahli/ orientalis group (Cook, 1986). It can be distinguished by the narrow ventral shield in both lateral and ventral view, deep genital bay and complete glandularia with seta not separated from the gland.

Superfamily HYGROBATOIDEA Koch, 1842

Figures

FIG. 1. Oxus sennettopsis new species ”. (a) Venter; (b) dorsum; (c) I-Leg; (d) IV-Leg-5–6; (e) lateral view; (f) gnathosoma lateral view. Scale bar: 90 Mm (a, b, e); 45Mm (c, f); 36 Mm (d).