Austrophthiracarus parainusitatus sp. n.

(Figs. 1 A–G)

Measurements of holotype. prodorsum: length 394, width 257, height 136, sensillus 83, setae: interlamellar 109, rostral 83; notogaster: length 687, width 475, height 444, c1 252, h1 343, p1 313; genitoaggenital plate 313×283, anoadanal plate 389×202.

Diagnosis. Lateral carinae of prodorsum absent, sensilli long without head, presence of 16 pairs of long, smooth and flagellate notogastral setae and four pairs of lyrifissures of notogaster.

Description. Colour light brow. Surface of body punctate.

Prodorsum (Fig. 1A–B) with narrow sigillar fields, median fields longer than lateral ones. Lateral carinae absent. Sensilli long, narrow, rather smooth without head. Prodorsal setae smooth, rather rigid, tapering distally, procumbent.

Notogaster (Fig. 1F) with 16 pairs of long (c1> c1–d1), smooth, flagelliform setae; additional pair of setae in row p. Setae c1 and c3 situated near anterior border, setae c2 slightly remote from border. Vestigial setae f1 posteriorly of h1 setae. Four pairs of lyrifissures ia, im, ip and ips present.

Ventral region: (Fig. 1C–E) Setae h of mentum considerably longer than distance between them. Genitoaggenital plates with nine pairs of genital setae with arrangement: 4+2: 3. One paratype has additional seta in left genital plate. Anoadanal plates each with five pairs of setae, anal setae shorter than adanal setae.

Legs. Formulae of setae and solenidia of “complete type ”. Setae d of femora I (Fig.1 G) situated at distal end of article, lateral setae also near distal end of article.

Material examined. Holotype and one paratype are deposited at DATE, two paratypes at ISB. Locus typicus: ESP-28, Spain, Galicia, 8.VII.2002, Los Peares near Orenge, European chestnut forest with oak Quercus peduncullata, sample of decaying wood of Ruscus sp. leg. M. Svoboda.

Etymology. The prefix para is Latin meaning “near” and refers to the similarity of the new species to Austrophthiracarus inusitatus (Niedbała, 1983) from the Russian Far East.

Comparison. The new species is similar to Austrophthiracarus inusitatus (Niedbała, 1983) but is distinguishable from it by the presence of longer, smooth and flagellate notogastral setae and four pairs of lyrifissures.