Austrocarabodes parapustulatus, Mahunka, 2009

Mahunka, S., 2009, Oribatid Mites From The Vohimana Reserve (Madagascar) (Acari: Oribatida) I., Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 55 (2), pp. 89-122 : 105-107

Austrocarabodes parapustulatus sp. n.

( Figs 30–32 )

Material examined. Holotype: Malagasy Republic, Vohimana Reserve , primary forest. 17. 04. 2008. Leg. CS . CSUZDI (Afr-996) . 8 paratypes from the same sample. Holotype (1773-HO-09) and 6 paratypes (1773-PO-09) deposited in HNHM , 2 paratypes in MHNG .

Diagnosis. Body narrow, much longer than wide. All dorsal setae small, widely-phylliform, covered by long spines. Sensillus gradually dilate, with unilaterally, distinctly barbed distal end. Anterior part of notogaster smooth, posterior part distinctly pustulate, notogastral surface ornamented by small pustules, in irregular position, sometimes the pustules composing a polygonal sculpture. Epimeral setal formula: 3–1–3–3. Setae 1a, 2a and 3a very short or minute. Apodemes and epimeral border strongly sclerotised. Sternal border with ring-shaped formation. Genitoanal setal formula: 4–1–2–3. All ventral setae fine, short, setiform. Lyrifissures iad located far anteriorly.

Measurements. Length of body: 439–478 µm, width of body: 208–226 µm.

Prodorsum. Rostrum wide, rounded. Lamellae also wide, with small apices laterally, bearing ciliated and dilated lamellar setae. An indistinct translamella present. Rostral setae phylliform, with distinct vein, arising near to translamella. Lamellar surface smooth, prodorsal surface finely punctuate or smooth anteriorly, covered with ring-shaped pustules in basal part. Interlamellar setae widely-phylliform, aciculate, directed outwards, located on the prodorsal surface, near to the lamellae. Sensillus short, with dilate, slightly curved backwards, densely barbed head.

Notogaster. Elongate. Anterior notogastral margin slightly convex, a pair of small humeral process present. Notogastral surface covered by sparsely pustules in irregular, polygonate pattern. Pustules much smaller than the similar ones in notogaster surface. Fourteen pairs of short, well dilate notogastral setae, all nearly equal in size covered with long and strong spiniform aciculae bearing one median vein each ( Fig. 31 ).

Lateral part of podosoma ( Fig. 32 ). Tutorium narrow, without true apex, with some irregular crests directed to the lamellae. Pedotecta I large, acetabulum of leg I completely covered, strongly excavated basally. Pedotectum II–III small, rounded.

Ventral parts ( Fig. 31 ). Epimeral region with well sclerotised structure, apodemes and borders composing a closed network. Sternal apodema well-developed. Behind the epimeral borders IV a pair of well-developed longitudinal laths directed backwards. Semicircle ribs absent. Surface of the subcapitulum smooth, epimeral surface with hardly observable polygonal pattern. Ventral, genital and anal plates smooth. Epimeral setae conspicuously varying in length, setae 1a, 1c, 2a and 3a very short or minute, setae 1b longest of all, setae 3b, 3c, 4a – 4c nearly equal in length. All setae thin and smooth. Genital, anal and adanal setae normal. Lyrifissures iad located far anteriorly from the anal openings.

Remarks. The new species is well characterised by the prodorsal or notogastral sculpture, by the semicircle formation on sternal borders and the shape of dorsal setae. This combination of characters was hitherto unknown in the genus

Austrocarabodes HAMMER, 1966 . See also the key of the Austrocarabodes species of Madagascar.

Etymology. Named after the pustulate posterior part of prodorsum and the indistinct postulate notogaster.

Figures

Figs 30–32. Austrocarabodes lateoalveolatus sp. n.: 30 = body in dorsal view, 31 = body in ventral view, 32 = podosoma in lateral view