Drepanura cobaltina (Schött, 1917)

Figs 8, 79−87

Material examined. 1 female, Western Australia, Barrow Island, 20o 45’S 115o 25’E, June, 2010, collected by Penelope Greenslade. Deposited in SAM.

Description. Body length up to 1.9mm. Body entirely blue; chaetal bases as white dots; small, symmetrical pattern of irregular blank spots along anterior margin of Abd. IV. Ant. I–II and basal part of legs with blue pigment. Eye patches dark blue (Fig. 8).

Eyes 8+8, G & H smaller. Interocular chaetae as p, q, r, s, t, p chaeta larger than others (Fig. 79). Basal chaetae of labium as M, R, E, L1, L2, all ciliate (Fig. 80).

Dorsal macrochaetae shown as in Fig. 81. Th. II with 2 (m1, m2) macrochaetae in Mm area and 4 (m 4i, m4, 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. Tenent hair clavate, 1.5× length of inner side of unguis; unguis with 4 inner teeth, paired teeth located at about 0.4 distance from base to claw, and 2 unpaired teeth, first one at 0.6 distance and distal one at 0.7 distance from base respectively; unguiculus acuminate and outer edge serrate (Fig. 82).

Abd. IV 6.7 times as long as Abd. III along dorsal midline. Abd. I not clearly seen. Abd. II with 4 central (a2, a3, m3, m3e) and 2 lateral (m5, m6) macrochaetae, Abd. III with 1 (m3) central and 3 lateral (am6, pm6, p6) macrochaetae (Fig. 83). Central part of Abd. IV with 22 macrochaetae (Fig. 84). Abd. V with 3 sensory chaetae and 10 macrochaetae (Fig. 85). Ventral tube anteriorly with 20 ciliate chaetae on each side (Fig. 86). Distal smooth part of dens 1.7 times as long as mucro in length. Mucro falcate and tip of basal spine not reaching apex of apical tooth (Fig. 87).

Remarks. According to Schött’s (1917) and Womersley’s (1934) descriptions, the colour pattern of the species is entirely cobalt blue and eyes patches are dark blue. The colour pattern of our specimens agrees well with their descriptions except for some small irregular blank spots on Abd. IV.

Type locality. Australia: North Queensland: Yarrabah.

Holotype: NHRM 1008.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland; Western Australia; South Australia, Glen Osmond.