Taintaturus waikirikiri Pesic & Smit

Pesic, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Datry, Thibault, 2010, Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the hyporheic waters of the Selwyn River (New Zealand), with descriptions of nine new species, Zootaxa 2355, pp. 1-34 : 13-14

Taintaturus waikirikiri Pesic & Smit sp. nov.

( Fig. 11A–F )

Type material. Holotype: male dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid. New Zealand, South Island, Selwyn River near Old Bridge, 04.vi.2004.

Diagnosis. Surface of dorsal sclerites rugose; ventral margin of P-2 with a somewhat rounded projection, with smooth or irregularly rugose surface, P-3 without ventral projection.

Description. Male. Integumental pigment absent; eye pigment reduced; surface of dorsal sclerites rugose; dorsal ( Fig. 11A ) shield L 231, W 260; anteromedial plate L 123, W 158; anterolateral platelets bearing a pair of glandularia; a pair of small glandularia lying free in the integument between anterolateral and posterolateral platelets; posteromedial plate bearing two pairs of glandularia; anterodorsal portion of ventral shield forming a pointed hood-like projection which extends anteriorly approximately as far as the tips of first coxae ( Fig. 11C ); ventral shield ( Fig. 11B ) L 355, W 258; tips of first, second and third coxae somewhat pointed and with well developed intercoxal slots; projections associated with insertions of IV-L large and extending to sides of idiosoma; a pair of short, curved ridges extending posteriorly from region of insertion of IV-L; a series of slightly raised ridges in the integument continuing from the above described ridges and parallel to lateral margins of idiosoma; a pair of glandularia located medial to insertions of IV-L; gonopore subterminal, L 24; palp ( Fig. 11 D-E): total L 143, dL and %L (in parentheses): P-1, 22 (15.4); P-2, 37 (25.9); P-3, 24 (16.8); P-4, 44 (30.8); P-5, 16 (11.2); ventral margin of P-2 with a rounded projection, with smooth or irregularly rugose surface; dL of IV-L-2-6: 52, 28, 39, 39, 45; maximum H of IV-L-2, 38; IV-L-2 L/H ratio, 1.37; chaetotaxy of IV-L as illustrated in Fig. 11F ; swimming hairs absent.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality, the Selwyn (= Waikirikiri , the Māori language) River.

Remarks. The combination of relatively wide anteromedial plates (L/W ratio, 0.78) of the dorsal shield, a rugose surface of the dorsal sclerites, the pointed hood at anterior margin of ventral shield, the subterminal gonopore, ventral margin of P-2 with a somewhat rounded projection, and P-3 without ventral projection, distinguishes T. waikirikiri from all other members of the genus.

Ecology. The single male was collected in the perennial-gaining reach of the river.

Figures

FIGURE 11 A – F. Taintaturus waikirikiri Pesic & Smit sp. nov., male: A = dorsal shield; B = ventral shield; C = anterodorsal portion of ventral shield; D – E = palp; F = IV-L. Scale bars = 100 μm.