Limnesia (Limnesia) moanaensis, Smit & Pešić, 2020

Smit, Harry & Pešić, Vladimir, 2020, New records of water mites from New Zealand, with the description of three new genera and ten new species (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 60 (4), pp. 903-950 : 907-908

Limnesia (Limnesia) moanaensis n. sp.

Zoobank: 4F399537-0128-438C-8429-84E69A989587

( Figures 2 A­D)

Material examined. Holotype male, unnamed stream Rakaitane Track , Moana, South Island, New Zealand, 42°34.374 ′ S 171°28.077 ′ E, alt. 78 m asl, 26­iii­2020 ( NMNZ).

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield with two (three?) pairs of glandularia, gnathosoma attached to a protrusible tube.

Description. Male: Idiosoma dorsally 535 long and 446 wide, ventrally 591 long. Integument lineated, brownish. Dorsal shield 454 long and 352 long, with two pairs of glandularia and the postocularia. However, as the dorsal shield is not fully developed yet, very likely three pairs of glandularia will be incorporated. Dorsal furrow with five pairs of glandularia.

Gnathosomal bay with a medial cleft, gnathosoma attached to a protrusible tube. Cx­I medially fused, Medial margin of Cx­III straight, Cxgl­4 on Cx­III near suture line of Cx­III/IV. Anterior to insertions of fourth legs a ridge. Genital field with three pairs of acetabula. Gonopore 98

long, nearly as long as genital field. Length of P1­5: 24, 76, 66, 104, 44. P2 ventrally with a short seta, P4 ventrally with a very small setal tubercle. Length of I­leg­4­6: 88, 110, 128 (till tip of segment). Length of IV­leg­4­6: 109, 121, 130; seta of IV­leg­6 62 long. Fourth leg with numerous stout setae. Excretory pore not incorporated in ventral shield.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. Named after the town of Moana at Lake Brunner.

Remarks. The male of L. auspexa has three pairs of glandularia on the dorsal shield too (assuming that fully­grown L. moanaensis has a dorsal shield with the same number of glandularia), but the gnathosoma of L. auspexa is not attached to a protrusable tube, the acetabula are elongated and narrow and a ridge is lacking anterior to the insertions of the fourth legs.