Drepanura liuae sp. nov.

Figs 1, 10−20

Types. Holotype: female, Australia, Barrow Island, 20o 45’S 115o 25’E, 2005/2006, collected by S. Callan. Paratype: 9 females, same data as holotype. All deposited in SAM.

Description. Body length up to 1.7mm.

Background colour pale yellow or white in alcohol. Eye patch dark blue. Ant. III & IV and distal parts of Ant. I & II with blue pigment. Th.II −Abd. V with narrow blue cross band at the posterior area of each segment (Fig 1).

Antenna 0.4−0.5 times as long as body. Antennal segmental ratio in length as I:II:III:IV = 1:3.2−3.7:3.0−4.0:3.7−3.8. Dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy with 4 antennal (An1, An2, An3a1, An3), 2 median (M2, M4) and 6 sutural (S0, S2, S3, S4, S 4i, S5) macrochaetae (Fig. 10). Eyes 8+8, G and H smaller, interocular chaetae as p, q, r, s, t, p chaeta larger than others (Fig. 11). Labral chaetae as 4/5, 5, 4, all slender and smooth; prelabral chaetae ciliate; labral papillae not clearly seen (Fig. 12). Labial triangular chaetae as M, R, E, L1, L2; all finely ciliate (Fig. 13).

Dorsal macrochaetae of thorax as in Fig. 14. Th. II with 3 (m1, m2, m 2i) macrochaetae in Mm area and 5 (m 4i, m4, m4pi, m4p, a5) macrochaetae in Ms area. Th. III with 3 (a1, a2, a3) macrochaetae in Am area and 6 (a 4i 2, a 4i, a4, a5, m 5i, m5) macrochaetae in As area. Trochanteral organ with about 14 smooth chaetae (Fig. 15). Tibiotarsus with several inner differentiated ciliate chaetae, roughly arranged in 2 rows, most distal one on hind leg smooth. Tenent hair thick with tip clavate, 0.9−1.2 × length of inner side of unguis. Unguis with 4 inner teeth, first pair at 0.4−0.5 distance from base of claw, and 2 unpaired teeth, first one at 0.7−0.8 and distal one at 0.8−0.9 distance from base respectively; outer and lateral teeth not clearly seen. Unguiculus acuminate with outer edge serrate (Fig. 16).

Abd. IV 4.0−7.0 times length of Abd. III along dorsal midline. Dorsal macrochaeta shown in Figs 17−18. Abd. I with 3 (m2, m3, m4) macrochaetae on each side. Abd. II with 3 central (a2, m3, m3e) and 1 lateral (m5) macrochaeta. Abd. III with 2 central (a2, m3) and 3 lateral (am6, pm6, p6) macrochaetae (Fig. 17). Abd. IV with 14 central (A4, A5, A6, B3, B4, B5, B6) and 14−18 lateral macrochaetae (Fig. 18). Manubrium with many ciliate chaetae on ventrally and dorsally; manubrial plaque with 4 chaetae and 2 pseudopores on each side (Fig. 19). Dens without spines, length of uncrenulated distal part of dens 2.0−2.8 times that of mucro. Mucro falcate, tip of basal spine not reaching apex of the tooth (Fig. 20).

Etymology. Named after Miss Liu Li, whose help was essential for our paper.

Remarks. The new species, D. liuae sp. nov. can be distinguished from all known species in the colour pattern. Although it is similar to the Australian species D. coeruleopicta, D. liuae sp. nov. has one cross-band on Abd. IV, whereas D. coeruleopicta has two bluish cross-bands on Abd. IV and a different chaetotaxy.