Phyllhermannia errinundrae, Colloff, 2011

Colloff, Matthew J., 2011, 2770, Zootaxa 2770, pp. 1-60 : 19-22

Phyllhermannia errinundrae sp. nov.

( Figs. 10, 34f)

Dimensions. Holotype female length 690 µm breadth 364 µm. Ratio of length of prodorsum to total length: 0.3 (holotype).

Female. Prodorsum: rostrum without inverted V-shaped ridge; rostral seta (ro) 41 µm long, spiniform, curved

( Fig. 10a). Lamellar seta (le) well-developed, 64 µm long, slightly curved, spiniform, smooth, on squat tubercle on lateral margin of prodorsum. Transverse lamellar ridge absent. Interlamellar setae (in) 54 µm, flattened, expanded basally, smooth, pointed, on well-developed inverted V-shaped interbothridial ridge. Region anterior of interbothridial ridge smooth, porose. Bothridial seta (bs) uniformly thin, elongate, 120 µm, slightly curved, pointed and quite strongly barbed apically. Exobothridial seta (ex) 16 µm long. Interbothridial region densely and strongly porose, divided medially by less densely porose region. Median condyles present.

Notogaster: Relatively narrow, elongated; ratio of length to breadth 1.42. With line of minute, sparse tubercles medially, and laterally between setae d 1 and e 1 ( Fig. 10a). Setae straight, smooth, broadened basally, very thin and pointed apically; almost as long as, or longer, than distance to the next most posterior seta; subequal in length (53– 74 µm). Setae of c series all directed posteriorly or posteriolaterally, c 2 closer to c 1 than to c 3. Distance between setae c 1 0.7 × that between d 1; distance between d 2 1.1 × that between d 1; distance between e 1 1.3 × that between f 1. Lyrifissurae im acute.

Coxisternum: Lateral margins of rostrum smooth, lateral margins of epimeres strongly tuberculate; posteriolateral margin of epimere I rounded ( Fig. 10b). Anterior sternal apodeme smooth, straight. Posterior sternal apodeme at level of epimeral plates II with tubercles. Apodeme III with sparse tubercles, sloping slightly anteriorly, broader than anterior apodemata, connected posteriomedially by U-shaped ridge. Epimeral plate III tuberculate on posterior margin. Posterior margin of epimere IV with line of large, posteriorly-directed tubercles; ridge of tubercles anterior of genital plate absent. Epimere IV lacking blunt, sclerotised projection laterally. Epimeral setal formula 3-1-3-5. Setae 1a and 1b sub-equal in length (23–31 µm), 1c longer (42 µm); 2a and 3a sub-equal (27 µm), 3b and 4a subequal (45–54 µm), 3c longest (89 µm) seta on epimeral plate III; seta 4b very short (19 µm), 4c (62 µm) longer than 4a; 4d (93 µm) the longest seta on epimeral plate IV, then 4e (78 µm). Setae on epimeral plates III and IV on median region of each plate.

Anogenital region: Genital, anal and adanal plates surrounded by narrow zone of cuticle more heavily sclerotised than that of ventral plate ( Fig. 10b). Cuticle around genital plates with small tubercles. Each genital plate 101 µm long, 54 µm broad with six short subequal setae (10–12 µm) in median file and three longer setae in lateral file, anteriolateral seta g 4 longer (58 µm) and thicker than others, extending beyond lateral margin of genital plate; mediolateral seta g 6 longer (27 µm) than posteriolateral seta g 8 (17 µm). Aggenital setae slightly longer than genital setae in median file. Pre-anal organ pointed. Each anal plate 155 µm long, 43 µm broad, with two short (23 µm) setae on anterior half of plate. Adanal setae massive, elongated, spiniform; ad 1 (68 µm) only slightly longer than ad 3 (68 µm) and ad 2 (54 µm).

Lateral view: Anterior prodorsal margin curved vertically and slightly posteriorly; prodorsum with faint ridge anterior of bases of lamellar seta ( Fig. 10c). Lamellar seta projecting anterior of bases of rostral seta; interlamellar and bothridial setae projecting vertically. Exobothridial seta emerging from base of bothridium below projecting rim. With alvelolus-like structure (‘orifice m ’ of Grandjean, 1939; Travé, 1977b) posterior of exobothridial seta. Interbothridial region strongly convex; posterior prodorsum forming a narrow channel with prodorsal condyle medially and enantiophysis laterally. Notogastral shield not strongly convex: ratio of height to length 0.29. Anterior margin of notogastral shield overhanging prodorsum; shallow concave regions on notogaster between setae c 2 and d 2 and between d 2 and e 1. Region between anterior margin of genital plate and epimere IV strongly concave.

Legs: Femur I 164 µm long, with well-developed lateral projection proximally; medial projection absent or reduced ( Fig. 34f). Cuticle with faint sparse alveoli. Lateral and dorsal setae stout, smooth, pointed; d curved (36 µm long); l " straight (32 µm long); l ' straight, longer than others (57 µm). Seta v ' 34 µm long.

Material examined. Holotype female, moss on trunk of Sassafras ( Atherosperma moschatum ), cool temperate rainforest, Errinundra Saddle, Errinundra National Park , Victoria, 37°19'18"S 148°51'11"E, 1030 m., coll. M.J. Colloff, 11.iv.2009 . Holotype deposited in the Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra .

Etymology. Phyllhermannia errinundrae is named for its type locality, Errinundra National Park.

Remarks. Phyllhermannia errinundrae can be differentiated from other member of the genus based on the following combination of characters: 1) the long, well-developed, smooth, spiniform lamellar setae, projecting almost as far as apices of rostral setae; 2) the notogaster with a network of lines of minute tubercles between setae d 1 and e 1 and medially; 3) the relatively narrow, elongated notogaster bearing blade-like smooth setae that are broadened basally and very thin and pointed apically; 4) epimeral setae 4a longer than 4b but shorter than 4c–e; 5) the strongly tuberculate perigenital region; 6) with genital seta g 4 longer than others in the lateral file; 7) the long, well-devel- oped, smooth, spiniform adanal setae; 8) the smooth, stout, pointed setae on femur I with l ” the shortest, then d, and l ' the longest.

Phyllhermannia errinundrae is morphologically most similar to P. acalepha (cf. remarks section for the latter species above).