Notophthiracarus minorae Niedbała, 2016

Niedbała, W. & Ermilov, S. G., 2016, Checklist of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) of New Zealand with descriptions of three new species, Acarologia 56 (2), pp. 203-211 : 205-208

Notophthiracarus minorae Niedbała n. sp.

( Figure 2 )

Measurement of holotype — Prodorsum: length 363, width 247, height 141. Setae of prodorsum: rostral 106, lamellar 177, interlamellar 253, sensilli 50, exobothridial 51. Notogaster: length 717, width 505, height 515. Setae of notogaster: c 1 177, c 2 152, c 3 45, c 1 / c 1 - d 1 =0.9, d 1 172, e 1 185, h 1 253, h 3 53, ps 1 215, ps 2 126, ps 3 71, ps 4 63. Genitoaggenital plate 172 × 146, anoadanal plate 252 × 111.

Measurements of paratype — Prodorsum: length 333, width 237, height 197. Notogaster: length 626, width 424, height 465.

Integument — Colour dark brown, almost black. Body surface punctated.

Prodorsum — With narrow sigillar fields well visible. Lateral carinae and posterior furrows absent. Sensilli short, with narrow pedicel and fusiform, rounded, roughened head. Interlamellar and lamellar setae very long, rigid, erect, bent backwards, tapering, covered with spines in distal half, similar to dorsal notogastral setae. Rostral setae similar in shape, but shorter, semierect; in> le> ro> ex> ss.

Notogaster — With 15 pairs of tapering setae, rigid covered with small spines in distal half, dorsal setae considerably longer (but c 1 slightly shorter than distance between c 1 - d 1) than laterals. Setae c 1 - c 3 remote from anterior margin, setae c 2 more than other. Vestigial setae f 1 situated anterior of setae h 1. Lyrifissures ia and im present.

Ventral region — Setae h of mentum slightly shorter than distance between them (h / h -h =0.8). Genitoaggenital plates with 9 pairs of unusual long setae with formula: 4: 5. Anoadanal plates with 5 pairs of setae, long, filiform, smooth, except minute setae ad 3.

Chaetome of legs — Complete. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1-4-2-5-17) [2-1-3], II (1-3- 2-3-12) [1-1-2], III (2-2-1-2-10) [1-1-0], IV (2-1-1-2-10) [0-1-0]. Setae d on femora I long and remote from anterior margin.

Material examined — Holotype and one paratype: New Zealand, North Island, Manawatu- Wanaganui region, 39°45’37.218”S, 175°14’24.759”E, 288 m a.s.l., Pinus radiata plantation (pines ∼ 23 yrs old), in litter, 29.I.2004 (leg. M. Minor ).

Type deposition — The holotype (ethanol) is deposited in the New Zealand National Arthropod Collection, Auckland, New Zealand ; paratype (ethanol) is deposited in the collection of the Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology , Adam Mickiewicz University, Pozna ´n, Poland .

Etymology — The specific name is dedicated to the well-known soil zoologist and ecologist Dr. Maria A. Minor (Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, New Zealand).

Comparison — Three similar species are known from the Australasian Region, by the presence of long, similar in shape interlamellar and lamellar setae, very short, globular sensilli and setae ad 3 of anoadanal plates minute. The most similar is species Notophthiracarus calugarae Niedbała, 1987 from Victoria State of Australia (see Niedbała 1987) but it is distinguishable by the shape of rostral setae, very short, thick, rough, location of f 1 setae posterior of h 1 setae, setae h of mentum longer than distance between them, and incomplete chaetome of femora of legs I. Both other similar species originate from South Island of New Zealand. Notophthiracarus ater Niedbała, 2000 is distinguishable by the presence of vestigial exobothridial setae, vestigial setae f 1 situated posterior of h 1 setae, setae h of mentum longer than distance between them, and especially by longer ad 3 setae (almost half of lengh of anal setae). Notophthiracarus fecundus Niedbała, 2000 is distinguishable by the slightly shorter dorsal, notogastral setae, setae h of mentum longer than distance between them, and also by setae f 1 situated posterior of h 1 setae and especially by longer ad 3 setae (almost half the lenght of anal setae).

Figures

FIGURE 2: Notophthiracarus minorae Niedbała n. sp. (holotype.): A – prodorsum, dorsal view; B – prodorsum, lateral view; C – opisthosoma, lateral view; D – mentum of subcapitulum; E – right genitoaggenital plate; F – right anoadanal plate; G – left anoadanal plate; H – trochanter and femur of leg I. Scale bar 100 µm.