Unionicola (Downesatax) minutissima Lundblad, 1947

Smit, Harry, 2008, Australian Unionicola (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Unionicolidae), with the description of two new subgenera and eight new species, Zootaxa 1674, pp. 1-26 : 9-11

Unionicola (Downesatax) minutissima Lundblad, 1947 new comb.

Unionicola (Hexatax) minutissima Lundblad, 1947: 61 .

Unionicola (Pentatax) minutissima K.O. Viets 1975: 93 ; Cook 1986: 159; Smit 1992: 100. Unionicola (Smithatax) minutissima Vidrine 1992: 463 ; 1996: 40; Wiles 1997: 409; Harvey 1998: 143.

Material examined. New South Wales: 1 female, Wattamolla Creek, Royal NP, 8 November 2001. Queensland: 1 female, Nankin Creek, Rockhampton, 26 June 1982, leg. A.P. Mackay; 1 female, same location, 24 September 1982, leg. A.P. Mackay; 1 male, Lake Emma, Lakefield NP, 15° 17’47.43” S 144° 38’48.05” E, 3 September 2000; 2 males, 1 female, Hann Crossing (stagnant), Lakefield NP, 14° 45’ 57.30” S 144° 04’ 46.60” E, 4 September 2000; 1 female, Catfish Waterhole, Lakefield NP, 15° 3’ 57.50” S 144° 17’ 8.43” E, 4 September 2000; 4 females, Crediton Creek, Eungella NP, 18 September 2000; 2 males, 2 females, Lake Moondarra, Mt Isa, 20° 35.274 S 139° 34.357 E, 8 October 2005; 5 males, 1 female, Mt Carbine Dam, Mt Carbine, 16° 32.019 S 145° 0 7.525 E, 14 October 2005; 1 female, Waterview Creek at Jourama Falls, Paluma Range NP, 18° 51.729 S 146° 0 7.650 E, 20 October 2005; 2 females, Fletcher Creek, Dalrymple NP, 19° 49.125 S 146° 0 3.771 E, 22 October 2005; 3 males, 18 females, 1 nymph, Porcupine Creek, Porcupine Gorge NP, 20° 21.039 S 144° 27.852 E, 23 October 2005; 1 female, rockpool Porcupine Creek, Porcupine Creek NP, 20° 21.039 S 144° 27.852 E, 23 October 2005; 5 males, 13 females, Broken River, Eungella National Park, 21° 10.069 S 148° 30.676 E, 25 October 2005; 3 males, 4 females, pool Broken River, 21° 10.112 S 148° 30.078 E, 25 October 2005; 3 males, 8 females, South Mimosa Creek, Blackdown Tablelands NP, 23° 47.714 S 149° 0 4.270 E, alt. 802 m asl, 27 October 2005. Northern Territory: 1 female, Mardugal Billabong, Kakadu NP, 21 July 1994; 1 male, Home Billabong, Kakadu NP, 22 July 1994; 5 females, pond in Jim Jim Creek, at Jim Jim Crossing, Kakadu NP, 22 July 1994; 1 male, 1 female, pond in Jim Jim Creek, near Jim Jim campground, Kakadu NP, 23 July 1994; 2 males, Pools upstream of Waterfall Creek, Kakadu NP, 13° 25.762 S 132° 25.089 E, 25 July 1994; 15 males, 7 females, Lily Pond Falls, Katherine Gorge NP, 27 July 1994; 7 males, 21 females, 1 nymph, same location, 3 October 2005; 1 female, plunge pool Edith Falls, Katherine Gorge NP (= Nitmiluk NP), 14° 10.899 S 132° 11.342 E, 30 July 1994; 1 male, same location, 2 October 2005; 1 female, Douglas River at Douglas Hot Springs, 1 August 1994; 3 males, 1 female, Kambolgie Creek, Kakadu NP, 13° 30.169 S 132° 23.688 E, 30 September 2005; 1 female, pools Waterfall Creek, upstream of falls, Kakadu NP, 13° 25.762 S 132° 25.089 E, 1 October 2005; 8 males, 8 females, Edith River downstream of plunge pool, Nitmiluk NP, 14° 10.885 S 132° 11. 271 E, 2 October 2005; 7 males, 21 females, 1 nymph, Lily Pond, Katherine Gorge, Nitmiluk NP, 14° 18.801 S 132° 28.326 E, 3 October 2005. Western Australia: 2 females, Fortescue Falls (pool), Hamersley Range NP, 22° 28’39.18” S 118° 33’3.04” E, 11 August 1994; 1 male, 1 female, pond Kalamina Gorge near falls, Hamersley Range NP, 22° 24’48.08” S 118° 24’34.50” E, 13 August 1994; 3 males, 5 females, Pond Knox Gorge, Hamersley Range NP, 13 August 1994; 1 male, 4 females, Palm Pool, Millstream-Chichester NP, 21° 34’2.85”S 117° 2’32.10”E, 15 August 1994; 4 males, 10 females, Deep Reach Pool, Millstream-Chichester NP, 21° 36’47.36”S 117° 6’31.53”E, 15 August 1994; 1 male, 1 female, Western part Deep Reach Pool, Millstream-Chichester NP, Western Australia, Australia, 16 August 1994; 3 females, Crossing Pool, Millstream-Chichester NP, 21° 34’55.16”S 117° 5’37.72”E, 16 August 1994; 2 males, 10 females, Python Pool, Millstream-Chichester NP, 21° 20’0.88”S 117° 14’18.89”E, 17 August 1994; 1 female, Fitzroy River at crossing with Great Northern Highway, S of Derby, 8 September 1998; 2 males, 1 female, pool Manning Gorge Falls, The Kimberley, 13 September 1998.

Remarks. A widespread species, previously known from Queensland, Tasmania and Papua New Guinea ( Wiles 1997), and reported here for the first time from New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.