Unionicola (Geikienicola) insolita, Smit, Harry, 2008

Smit, Harry, 2008, Australian Unionicola (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Unionicolidae), with the description of two new subgenera and eight new species, Zootaxa 1674, pp. 1-26 : 24

Unionicola (Geikienicola) insolita n. sp.

( Figs. 42–46 )

Material examined. Holotype female, Geikie Gorge, western part, Geikie Gorge NP, Western Australia, Australia, 18° 7’23.92”S 125° 39’42.47”E, 28 September 1998 ( WAM). Paratypes: 1 male, 2 females ( WAM), same data as holotype; 1 male, 1 female, Fitzroy River S of Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia, Australia, 18° 12’39.07” S 125° 34’40.91” E, 28 September 1998 ( ZMAN).

Diagnosis. As for subgenus.

Description. Female: Idiosoma soft, 1146 (1226–1407) long and 854 (904–1100) wide. Posterior apodemes of anterior coxal plates long, extending well beyond anterior margin of third coxal plates. Length of Cx3+4 462. Posterior margins of fourth coxal plates with blunt, short extensions. A pair of glandularia in the secondary sclerotisation of the posteriomedial corner of fourth coxal plates. Coxal plates with a elongated reticulate pattern. Genital field terminal, with four genital plates. Anterior pair with two acetabula, the largest acetabulum 58 long. Medial margin of anterior genital plate with 4–6 enlarged setae. Posterior pair with three acetabula and one enlarged seta. Lengths of PI-PV: 24, 205, 120, 210, 122. PII slender, PIV with one large, slender setal tubercle and one very short setal tubercle. Peg-bearing seta small. Lengths of I-leg-4-6: 535, 365, 470. First leg modified, of very unusual shape: I-leg-6 long and slender, I-leg-4 and -5 enlarged. Ventral margin of I-leg-5 with eight short heavy setae. Ventral margin of I-leg-4 with three short heavy setae and two long, fluted setae. I-leg-2 and -3 with one long, fluted seta and 1–2 long, pointed setae. Lengths of IV-leg-4-6: 559, 737, 745. IV-leg-4 with two rows of 7–8 long, pointed setae. IV-leg-5 with a very long, stiff seta, which probably acts as a swimming seta. Claws with clawlet, without claw blade.

Male: Idiosoma soft, 1045 (859) long and 824 (656) wide. Posterior apodemes of anterior coxal plates long, extending well onto third coxal plates. Lengths of third + fourth coxal plates 405. Posterior margins of fourth coxal plates with blunt, short extensions. A pair of glandularia in the secondary sclerotisation of the posteriomedial corner of fourth coxal plates. Coxal plates with a elongated reticulate pattern. Genital field terminal, ventrally and dorsally fused, with five pairs of acetabula, the ventral two pairs somewhat distanced from dorsal three pairs. Genital field anteriorly with 5–6 small setae, between ventral two pairs and dorsal three pairs two pairs of enlarged setae. Lengths of PI-PV: 24, 150, 106, 169, 112; palp as in female. Lengths of I-leg-4-6: 486, 324, 401. Lengths of IV-leg-4-6: 494, 648, 607. Legs as in female.

Etymology. Named for its unusual appearance, as a result of its unusual legs.

Figures

FIGURE 42 – 46. Unionicola insolita n. sp., 42 – 45, holotype female, 42, ventral view, Scale bar = 200 µm; 43, genital field; 44, palp; 45, I-leg- 4 - 6; 46, paratype male, genital field. Scale bars = 50 µm.