Abrolophus, Berlese, 1891

Seeman, Owen D., Beard, Jennifer J., Fan, Qing-Hai & Otto, Jürgen C., 2024, Abrolophus from Australasia, and the mysterious Mypongia (Trombidiformes: Parasitengona: Erythraeidae), Zootaxa 5519 (2), pp. 151-189 : 185

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5519.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BBED2BAD-1AAE-440B-B13A-0661F309A6BA
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13935670
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0060C53D-080D-FF98-3DA0-FF432DB54CAC
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Abrolophus
status

Treatment

Key to species of Abrolophus View in CoL in Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand (nymphs, adults)

1. Globular palp tarsi (about as long as wide, Fig. 20D View FIGURE 20 ); coxal apodemes III and IV fused in an angular manner, thin or thickened ( Fig. 19D View FIGURE 19 ); crista on distinct sclerotised, punctate scutum that captures several prodorsal setae ( Figs 18B View FIGURE 18 , 19D View FIGURE 19 , 21D View FIGURE 21 ); posterior process of crista absent ( Fig. 22 View FIGURE 22 C-D); adult body often> 1 mm ................................................. 2

- Elongate palp tarsi (at least 1.5x as long as wide, Fig. 20 View FIGURE 20 A-B); coxal apodemes III and IV fused in a loop-like manner, thin ( Fig. 19 View FIGURE 19 A-B); crista on indistinct smooth scutum that may capture as few as one pair of dorsal setae on its margins ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 ); posterior process of crista present ( Figs 10 View FIGURE 10 , 22 View FIGURE 22 A-B) or absent ( Fig. 22 View FIGURE 22 C-D); adult body no more than 1 mm ..................... 6

2. Long legs I and IV, each approximately 2.8 mm; tarsus I not noticeably humped (in lateral view), about three times as long as wide............................................................... Abrolophus glauerti ( Womersley, 1934) View in CoL *

- Legs I and IV shorter, less than 2 mm; tarsus I noticeably humped, no more than 2.5x as long as wide.................. 3

3. Tarsus I less than twice as long as wide (1.5-1.7x)........................................................... 4

- Tarsus I more than twice as long as wide (2.1-2.6x).......................................................... 5

4. Nymph only. Dorsal setae short, thickened, length 30–50 ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 , 23D View FIGURE 23 ); naso with 2 setae................................................................................................... A. insularum ( Womersley, 1934) View in CoL **

- Adult only. Dorsal setae long, thin, length 70–80 ( Fig. 18B View FIGURE 18 ); naso with 8 setae............ A. littorale ( Womersley, 1934) View in CoL **

5. Tibia IV greatly elongate, length 490; tarsus I moderately elongate, 225 x 105; dorsal setal length ca. 70–80; naso with 4 setae.................................................................... A. newmani ( Womersley, 1934) View in CoL ***

- Tibia IV moderately elongate, length 350; tarsus I greatly elongate, 290 x 110; dorsal setae long and thin, length ca. 100 ( Fig. 17D View FIGURE17 ); naso with 8 setae.......................................................... A. brevus ( Womersley, 1934) View in CoL

6. Posterior process of crista present ( Fig. 22 View FIGURE 22 A-B); scutum capturing zero or one pairs of setae (AL setae usually on margin of soft cuticle); ASens subequal or longer than Psens ( Figs 7 View FIGURE 7 , 10 View FIGURE 10 ). Nymph specific features (unknown for A. zelandicus View in CoL ): Asens 35–39; Psens 33–41, genu III with 6-8 tactile setae, tibia III with 8-9 tactile setae ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 ); nymphal tibia IV (66-74) a little less than 1.5x length of tarsus IV (48-53).......................................................................... 7

- Nymph only. Posterior process of crista absent ( Fig. 22C View FIGURE 22 ); scutum capturing two pairs of setae ( Figs 21C View FIGURE 21 , 22C View FIGURE 22 ); Asens shorter than Psens. Nymph-specific features: Asens 41, Psens 61; genu III with 14 tactile setae, tibia III with 18 tactile setae; tibia IV (104) about twice length of tarsus IV (49)....................................... A. novaeguinensis ( Gunther, 1941) View in CoL

7. Male only. Asens 71, distance between sensilli (ISD) 132 ( Fig. 24B View FIGURE 24 ); length of palp femur 121 ( Fig. 24D View FIGURE 24 ).............................................................................................. A. zelandicus Luxton, 1989 View in CoL

- Male: Asens 46, distance between sensilli (ISD) 78 ( Fig. 10B View FIGURE 10 ); length of palp femur 77...... A. ripicola ( Womersley, 1934) View in CoL

* Note: specimens of A. glauerti not seen; Womersley (1934) reports this species as being 1.16 mm long and 1.75 mm wide. If true, this is a highly unusual body shape and could be an error of reversal, yet Womersley (1934) reports the legs (1.6–2.82 mm) as being longer than the body.

** Note: A. insularum and A. littorale are possibly the nymph and adult of the same species.

*** Note: the holotype of A. newmani is in poor condition and little detail is visible beyond general lengths, widths of leg segments and the form of the dorsal body setae.