Atalotegaeus deficiens sp. nov.

(Fig. 14)

Dimensions. Holotype female length 495 μm, breadth 343 μm. Paratype female length 503 μm, breadth 356 μm. Ratio of prodorsum to total length: 0.39 (holotype).

Description of adult. Prodorsum: rostrum acute with small inverted V-shaped area of lighter cuticle; rostral setae (ro) short, curved, smooth, visible in dorsal aspect. Lamellae broad, extending well beyond lateral margin of prodorsum, separated medially, without translamella, lateral margins strongly convex (Fig. 14a). Lamellar seta (le) well-developed, with spinose ornamentation, curved, emerging sub-apically on median edge of lamella; lamellar cusp with single apical tooth, extending just beyond rostrum. Interlamellar setae (in) long, smooth, curved, on short inverted V-shaped ridge. Bothridia prominent, projecting laterally to inner margins of humeral processes, openings angled anterolaterally, posterior margin with anterior condyle of enantiophysis H in form of V-shaped projection. Bothridial setae long, curved, setiform, smooth.

Notogaster: ratio of length to breadth: 0.87; notogaster rounded, convex. Humeral processes thin, fine, waisted at base, extending anterior of apices of setae in, with two blunt lateral protuberances, apex pointed, lateral margin slightly concave (Fig. 14a). With seven pairs of notogastral setae: la, lp, h 2, h 3 and p series present, setae of l and h series with spinose ornamentation on one side, strongly curved, in sub-marginal position, p series very short, smooth, visible in dorsal view.

Ventral aspect: subcapitulum acute apically; subcapitular setae short, smooth, sub-equal in length (Fig. 14b). Chelicerae chelate-dentate and of normal proportions. Tutorium prominent, broad, with blunted apex. Epimeral plates I discrete, broadly separated in midline, sub-triangular, plates II only partially divided in midline, plates III with no median division, plates IV lacking posterior margin; epimeral setation 3-1-3-2; setae sub-equal in length. Pedotectum I (pd I) not prominent, sub-rectangular laterally in ventral view; pd II triangular, sharply pointed; discidium broad, pointed, with blunt apex. Ventral plate ovoid, broader than long. Genital and anal plates separated by distance of half length of genital plate; genital plates 65 µm long, with six pairs of setae, sub-equal in length, g 4 displaced laterally; lyrifissure iad in para-anal position, close to margin of anal plate. Anal plates lozenge-shaped, 87 µm long; setae of the ad series short, similar length to setae of the p series. Pre-anal organ (po) T-shaped.

Type designation, material examined and locality data. Holotype female, ANIC accession no. 53-1046, ANIC 580, litter, rainforest, Mount Koghis [Mont Koghi], New Caledonia, 23°11'S, 166°31'E, 749 m. [summit], coll. P.S. Ward, 18.ii.1977.

Etymology. The specific name, deficiens, refers to the absence of notogastral seta lm.

Diagnosis. Atalotegaeus deficiens can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the following combination of characters: (1) the small inverted V-shaped area of lighter cuticle on the rostrum; (2) the lamellar setae with spinose ornamentation; (3) the inverted V-shaped ridge on the prodorsum from which setae in emerge; (4) the long, smooth, curved setae in; (5) the two blunt protuberances at the base of the humeral process; (6) the absence of setae lm, thus seven pairs of notogastral setae; (7) setae of l and h series with spinose ornamentation on one side; (8) the prominent broad tutorium with a blunted apex.

Remarks. This species is morphologically most similar to A. crobylus (cf. above) in that both have similar morphology of the lamellar cusp and chelate-dentate chelicerae of normal proportions, but A. deficiens differs in having lamellar setae with spiniform ornamentation, the presence of the inverted V-shaped ridge on the prodorsum and the absence of setae lm.