Limnesia (Limnesia) vogelkop, Smit, Harry, 2013

Smit, Harry, 2013, New records of water mites mainly from Vogelkop, New Guinea (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of one new genus and thirteen new species, Zootaxa 3716 (2), pp. 207-235 : 212-214

Limnesia (Limnesia) vogelkop n. sp.

( Figures 14–18 )

Material examined. Holotype male, stream ± 3 km S of Mokwam, West Papua province, 1° 0 5.877 S 133° 54.223 E, alt. 1637 m asl, 8-xi-2011 (RMNH). Paratype: male, stream Ilik, near Lake Gita, Anggi Lakes, West Papua province, New Guinea, Indonesia, 17-xi-2011, 1° 21.423 S 133° 58.553 E, alt. 1912 m asl.

Diagnosis. Dorsum with two large plates, covering almosty entire dorsum; venter posterior of genital field sclerotized; large size (male> 600 in length), many genital setae in two groups (> 10), dorsal setae thin and relatively short; PII with a stout seta, not inserted on a tubercle.

Description. Male: Idiosoma pale-yellow in colour, ovally-shaped, truncated anteriorly, 688 (648) long and 429 (413) wide. Dorsal and ventral shields present. Dorsum with two large plates, anterior plate 238 long and 308 wide, posterior plate 457 long and 381 wide. Anterior plate with postocular setae and a pair of short, thin setae, posterior plate with two pairs of relatively short (anterior seta 62 long), thin setae. Venter posterior of genital field sclerotized. Anterior coxal plates extending beyond anterior idiosoma margin. Suture lines of coxal plates indistinct. Cxgl-4 large, lying at posteromedial edge of fourth coxal plates. Genital field with three pairs of elongated acetabula, lengths of Ac- 1-3 54, 54 and 62, respectively. Gonopore 58 long. Area between acetabula with 7–8 (7) + 3–4 (2) small setae. Lengths of PI-PV: 30, 76, 60, 86, 34; PII with a stout seta, not inserted on a setal tubercle. Medial side of PIII with two setae, ventral margin of PIV with one long and one short seta. Lengths of Ileg-4–6: 90, 100, 84. IV-leg-4–6: 100, 124, 104; terminal setae of IV-leg-6 40 long. Swimming setae absent. Female: Unknown.

Etymology. Named after the Vogelkop , the species name is a noun in apposition.

Remarks. The new species is close to L. longiseta Smit, 2011 in the presence of two large dorsal plates, but differs in a larger size (length/width of male L. longiseta is 530/328), the absence of long, stout setae on the dorsal plates, the more numerous genital setae (two in L. longiseta ) and a shorter seta of IV-leg-6 (60 long in L. longiseta ). A rheophilic species, occurring in streams.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 18. Limnesia vogelkop n. sp., holotype male. 14. Dorsal view; 15. Ventral view; 16. Palp; 17. Palp; 18. IV-leg- 4 – 6. Scale bars = 50 µm.