Mesoplophora (Mesoplophora) parapulchra, Niedbała, 2012

Niedbała, W., 2012, An Updated Study Of Ptyctimous Mite Fauna (Acari: Oribatida) Of The Australasian Region With A Description Of Thirteen New Species, Acarologia 52 (2), pp. 183-228 : 190

Mesoplophora (Mesoplophora) parapulchra n. sp.

( Figures 1 A-D)

Material examined — Holotype: ANIC-1546, Mt. Kosciuszko National Park (NP), 13 km Northwest of Jindabyne, 1 km West of Sawpit Creek Campground, alt. 1240 m, 36°21’S, 148°35’E, Eucalyptus dalrympleana rotten log litter, 2 May 1993, coll. D.S. Chandler.

Measurements of holotype — Prodorsum: length 263, width 182, height 106, sensillum 106, setae: in 139, le 114, ro 86, ex 12; notogaster: length 364, width 298, height 197, setae: c 1 53, d 1 58, d 2 88, e 1 76; genitoaggenital plate 76 × 51, anoadanal plate 88 × 48, distance between genitoaggenital and anoadanal plates 23.

Description — Colour yellow. Surface of body punctate.

Prodorsum without lateral carinae. Sensilla long, smooth, slightly swollen at distal end. Setae smooth, long, flagellate, rostral setae shorter than interlamellar and lateral setae, exobothridial setae minute, shorter than diameter of bothridium.

Notogaster with 8 pairs of setae, dorsal setae and setae c 2 rigid, rough and shorter than smooth and flagellate ventral setae c 3 and cp; setae c 2 more remote from anterior margin than setae c 1 and c 3.

Ventral side — One pair of short setae h on the level of genital plates present. Ventral plate with nine pairs of smooth, rather short setae, only one pair of median setae longer than other setae. Formula of genital setae: 5+2. Anoadanal plates with two pairs of smooth setae.

Etymology — The name alludes to some resemblance to Mesoplophora pulchra .

Comparison to related species — The new species is similar to the palaearctic species Mesoplophora pulchra Sellnick, 1928 but differs from it by the presence of two pairs of anal setae and presence of nine pairs of ventral setae with one pair longer median setae (versus 10 pairs of ventral setae with two pairs of longer median setae).

Figures

FIGURE 1: Mesoplophora (Mesoplophora) parapulchra n. sp. (holotype): A – prodorsum, dorsal view, B – prodorsum, lateral view, C – lateral view of opisthosoma, D – ventral view of opisthosoma; Apoplophora paraserrata n. sp. (holotype): E – prodorsum, dorsal view, F – lateral view of body, G – ventral view of opisthosoma.