Phyllhermannia acalepha, Colloff, 2011

Colloff, Matthew J., 2011, 2770, Zootaxa 2770, pp. 1-60 : 6-9

Phyllhermannia acalepha sp. nov

( Figs. 1–3, 34a)

Dimensions. Holotype female length 747 µm breadth 460 µm. Paratype females (n = 21) mean length 735 µm (range 720–758 µm), mean breadth 432 µm (range 412–470 µm); paratype males (n = 17) mean length 662 µm (range 631–717 µm), mean breadth 368 µm (range 351–388 µm). Ratio of length of prodorsum to total length: 0.26 (holotype).

Female. Prodorsum: rostrum with inverted V-shaped ridge; rostral seta (ro) 34 µm, setiform, slightly curved, smooth ( Fig. 1a). Lamellar seta (le) 58 µm, stout, curved, rough apically, on squat, conical tubercle on lateral margin of prodorsum; with transverse lamellar ridge not contiguous medially. With well-developed lateral ridge extending between base of lamellar seta and acetabulum of leg I, connecting with medially-curving anterior exobothridial ridge. Interlamellar seta (in) 48 µm long, flattened, broadened basally, pointed and sparingly barbed apically, on shallow inverted V-shaped interbothridial ridge. Bothridial seta (bs) elongate, 156 µm, evenly thick, apex pointed and with minute barbs. Exobothridial seta (ex) 19 µm long. Interbothridial region densely and strongly porose, divided medially by non-porose region with small, sparsely-distributed tubercles. Median condyles present.

Notogaster: ratio of length to breadth 1.22. Dorsosejugal suture smooth. With network of minute tubercles, extensive anteriorly, with narrow line between median file of setae and broader zones between median and lateral files ( Fig. 1a). Setae straight, pointed, flattened, broadened basally, barbed apically; not overlapping; p series shorter (34–44 µm) than others (48–68 µm). Setae of c series all directed posteriorly or posteriolaterally, c 2 much closer to c 3 than to c 1. Distance between setae c 1 0.6 × that between d 1; distance between d 2 1.4 × that between d 1; distance between e 1 1.3 × that between f 1. Lyrifissurae im oblique.

Coxisternum: Lateral margins of rostrum and epimeres strongly tuberculate; posteriolateral margin of epimere I in form of blunt spur ( Fig. 2a). Anterior sternal apodeme tuberculate. Apodeme III transverse, broader than others, tuberculate, with median U-shaped ridge. Posterior margin of epimere IV with line of well-developed, posteriorly-directed tubercles, opposed by ridge of anteriorly-directed tubercles anterior of genital plate. Epimere IV densely tuberculate. Epimeral setal formula 3-1-3-5. Setae 1a, 1b, 2a, 3a and 4b short, sub-equal (ca. 11–22 µm); 1c 36 µm. Lateral setae 3b and 3c long, subequal (74–98 µm), on anterior part of epimeral plate III; setae 4c, 4d and 4e on median part of epimeral plate IV; 4c slightly shorter (81 µm) than 4d and 4e (95–109 µm); seta 4a 60 µm long.

Anogenital region: Genital and anal plates surrounded by zone of cuticle more heavily sclerotised than ventral plate ( Fig. 2a). Cuticle around genital plates with small, sparsely-distributed tubercles. Each genital plate 137 µm long, 63 µm broad with six short setae (10–14 µm) in median file and three longer setae in lateral file, anteriolateral seta (g 4) longer (44 µm) than other laterals (18–25 µm). Aggenital setae subequal in length to median genital setae. Pre-anal organ bifurcate. Each anal plate 178 µm long, 42 µm broad, with two short (14 µm) setae on central and anterior part. Adanal setae ad 1 spiniform, 25 µm, longer than others.

Legs: Cuticle of femora, genua and tibiae alveolate; with oval porose areas on paraxial surfaces ( Fig. 3). Femora I and II laterally flattened, with a well-developed ventral keel. Femur I 173 µm long, with well developed lateral and medial projections proximally ( Fig. 34a); setae d and l " long, subequal (68 µm), uniformly stout, pointed and barbed apically. Seta l ' same morphology as d and l " but longer (85 µm). Seta v " on femur I spiniform, thick, straight, barbed, blunt apically; bv " shorter, smooth ( Fig. 3a). Seta l ' and l " on genu I very long (84–91 µm) and stout; l ' barbed, l " smooth; l ' on genu II smooth ( Fig. 3b). Solenidion φ 1 and φ 2 on tibia I emerging from well-developed apophysis φ 1 very long (217 µm); φ 2 48 µm long. Tarsus I with slight protuberance on dorsal surface bearing solenidion ω (64 µm long), eupathidium Ɛ (24 µm); and setae ft. Formula: Leg I 1-6-5(1)-5(2)-23(1); Leg II 1-5- 4(1)-4(1)-16(1).

Male. As for female except as follows: Prodorsum: rostral seta (ro) slightly longer (45 µm), lamellar seta (le) thinner than those of female, not rough apically; interlamellar setae (in) bacilliform, smooth ( Fig. 1b). Notogaster: ratio of length to breadth 1.35; narrower and shorter than that of female ( Fig. 1b). Distance between setae c 1 slightly less than between d 1; distance between d 2 1.5 × that between d 1; distance between e 1 2 × that between f 1. Coxisternum: Apodeme III smooth or sparingly tuberculate ( Fig. 2b). Epimere IV with well-developed, blunt, sclerotised projection laterally. Setae 1a, 1b, 2a, 3a and 4b short, sub-equal (ca. 7–10 µm); 1c 36. Lateral setae 3b and 3c long, subequal (76–83 µm), on anterior part of epimeral plate III; setae 4c, 4d and 4e subequal (80–92 µm), on median part of epimeral plate IV; seta 4a 56 µm. Anogenital region: Cuticle around genital plates and anal plates less extensively tuberculate than in female ( Fig. 2b). Each genital plate 90 µm long, 40 µm broad with six short subequal setae (7–10 µm) in median file and three longer setae in lateral file, anteriolateral seta (g 4) longer (36 µm) and thicker than others (20 µm).Each anal plate 138 µm long, 33 µm broad, with two short (12 µm) setae on central part. Lateral view: Anterior prodorsal margin curved vertically and slightly posteriorly; prodorsum with faint ridge anterior of bases of lamellar seta ( Fig. 1d). Lamellar seta projecting as far as bases of rostral seta; interlamellar and bothridial setae projecting vertically. Acetabulum I and II each with a dorsal tectum; that of acetabulum I with an anterior point. With alvelolus-like structure (‘orifice m ’ of Grandjean, 1939; Travé, 1977b) posterior of exobothridial seta. Interbothridial region convex; posterior prodorsum forming a narrow channel with prodorsal condyle medially and enantiophysis laterally. Notogastral shield convex: ratio of height to length 0.37. Anterior margin of notogastral shield overhanging prodorsum; shallow concave region on notogaster region between setae c 1 and d 1. Region between anterior margin of genital plate and epimere IV strongly concave.

Material examined. Holotype female; paratypes: 12 females, 15 males, ANIC 3751, sifted litter and mossy logs, rainforest with Eucalyptus sp. , Lyrebird Nature Walk, 3.3 km SE Mt. Field East, Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, 42°40'46"S 146°40'15"E., 690 m., coll. T. Weir & C. Lemann, 8.iii.2008. Paratype male, ANIC 670, litter under Nothofagus cunninghami and Anodopetalum biglandulosum , cool temperate rainforest, 7 km ENE of Mount Wedge, Tasmania, 42°49'S, 146°22'E., 550 m., coll. J.F. Lawrence & T.A. Weir, 3.ii.1980. Paratypes: eight females, two males, ANIC 3750, sifted litter and mossy logs, rainforest with Eucalyptus sp. , Warra, end of Manuka Road, 24 km WNW Geeveston, Tasmania, 43°05'27"S 146°39'09"E., 120 m., coll. T. Weir & C. Lemann, 7.iii.2008. Paratypes: three females, ANIC 3753, sifted litter and mossy logs, rainforest with Eucalyptus sp. , Styx Big Tree Reserve, 6.7 km SSE Maydena, Tasmania, 42°48'50"S 146°39'22"E, 340 m., coll. T. Weir & C. Lemann, 10.iii.2008. Paratype female, ANIC 3756, sifted litter and mossy logs, rainforest with Eucalyptus sp. , end of Rufus Canal Road, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Tasmania, 42°09'43"S 146°07'16"E., 796 m., coll. T. Weir & C. Lemann, 13.iii.2008. Holotype and paratypes deposited in the Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra.

Etymology. The specific name, acalepha , is Greek, meaning ‘nettle’ and is a reference to the notogastral setae with their fine barbs, reminiscent of the urticating hairs of the stinging nettle, Urtica dioica .

Remarks. Phyllhermannia acalepha can be differentiated from other member of the genus based on the following combination of characters: 1) the bacilliform, smooth interlamellar setae of the male; 2) the smooth, setiform lamellar setae on well-developed conical tubercles, extending well beyond the apex of the rostrum; 3) the straight, pointed, flattened notogastral setae, broadened basally and barbed apically; 4) the notogaster with a network of lines of minute tubercles between the files of setae; 5) the strongly tuberculate lateral margins of the rostrum and epimeres; 6) with epimeral seta 4a considerably longer than 4b; 7) the tuberculate perigenital region; 8) with genital seta g 4 longer than others in the lateral file; 9) with setae d and l " of femur I sub-equally long, stout, pointed and barbed apically.

Phyllhermannia acalepha is morphologically most similar to P. errinundrae sp. nov. (cf. below) in the shape of the notogastral setae, the pattern of microtubercles on the notogaster, the tuberculate perigenital region and the relative lengths of setae on epimeral plate 4, but differs in that the lateral and dorsal setae on femur I are barbed rather than smooth; the adanal setae of P. acalepha are much shorter than the massive, thick setae of P. errinundrae ; the notogastral setae are barbed apically, not smooth; the dorsal and lateral setae of femur I are barbed rather than smooth and the interlamellar seta is a different shape from the notogastral setae rather than the same. Phyllhermannia errinundrae has a ridge between the base of the lamellar seta and the acetabulum of leg I, but it is not expanded laterally as in P. acalepha .