Aciculacarus amalis Cook, 1983

SmitK, Harry & PešićK, Vladimir, 2024, New records of rare water mites from New Zealand, with the description of a new genus (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 64 (2), pp. 602-611 : 606-609

Aciculacarus amalis Cook, 1983

Figure 3

New record — South Island. 1/2/0, Small stream moss forest crossing track to Fox Glacier, 43°28.954′ S, 170°01.236′ E, 209 m asl, 12.ii.2023, 1 female dissected and slide mounted

(RMNH).

Remarks — Thus far, the female was unknown, and therefore a description is given below.

Description — Female — Idiosoma soft and without muscle attachment sclerites ( Figure 3D ), dorsally 547 long, ventrally 625 long and 456 wide. Coxal field 348 long, Cx-III wide

328, Cx-I separated medially, gnathosomal bay V-shaped, approximately 84 long; Cxgl-4 near medial margin of Cx-IV and well posterior to the Cx-III/IV suture line, posterior margin of Cx-IV evident. Genital field with three pairs of acetabula, length of Ac–1-3: 30–34, 28–30, 25–27, respectively, pregenital sclerite 94 wide, gonopore 128 long, genital plates fused at posterior end to each other and with postgenital sclerite, surrounded by a well-developed strip of a secondary sclerotization which includes also Vgl-1 and -2 ( Figure 3E ); excretory pore terminal in position.

Palp as illustrated in Figure 3A : dorsal length/height (ratio given in parentheses): P1, 30/31 (0.97); P2, 68/44 (1.55); P3, 70/39 (1.81); P4, 102/30 (3.42); P5, 42/16 (2.62). Gnathosoma elongated, pointed at anterior end ( Figure 3B ), 211 long; chelicera ( Figure 3C ) 322 long, cheliceral claw elongated and needle-like, 184 long. Dorsal lengths of I-leg ( Figure 3F ): 47, 56, 75, 109, 119, 138; dorsal lengths of IV-leg: 110, 80, 113, 156, 181, 175; swimming setae absent.

Distribution — Previously known from one locality on North Island, and reported here for the first time from South Island.

Figures

Figure 3 Aciculacarus amalisCook, 1983, female, stream crossing track to Fox Glacier. A – palp; B – gnathosoma; C – chelicera; D – idiosoma, dorsal view (inset: glandularium, 2x enlarged); E – idiosoma, ventral view; F – I-leg. Scale bars = 100 μm.