Oplitis pusaterii, Material, 2012

Material, Jenö Kontschán Introduction, 2012, Three new Uropodina mites from New Zealand, Spixiana 35 (1), pp. 9-17 : 13-14

Oplitis pusaterii spec. nov.

Figs 15 -26

Material examined. Holotype: female, New Zealand, Laingholm , 129 Laingholm Drive, pitfall trap, 29.10. 2007, leg. J. T. Pusateri ( NZAC) . – Paratypes: male, locality and date same as holotype ( NZAC); one male and two females : New Zealand, Laingholm , 129 Laingholm Drive, pitfall trap, 3.12.2007, leg. J. T . Pusateri ( NHMG) ;

male: New Zealand, Laingholm , 129 Laingholm Drive, pitfall trap, 19.05.2007, leg. J. T . Pusateri ( NHMG); two females : New Zealand, Laingholm , 129 Laingholm Drive, pitfall trap, 29.10.2007, leg.J. T . Pusateri ( HNHM); two females : New Zealand, Laingholm , 129 Laingholm Drive, pitfall trap, 19.05.2007, leg.J. T . Pusateri ( HNHM); one male : New Zealand, Laingholm , 129 Laingholm Drive, pitfall trap, 29.10.2007, leg. J. T . Pusateri ( ZSM) .

Description

Female. Length of idiosoma 1120-1210 µm, width 1030-1080 µm (n = 7). Shape of idiosoma: Oval.

Dorsal aspect of idiosoma ( Fig. 15 ): Marginal and dorsal shields fused anteriorly. All setae on dorsal and marginal shields smooth and needle-like (c. 15- 19 µm), placed on small protuberances ( Fig. 16 ). Dorsal and marginal shields without sculptural pattern.

Ventral aspect of idiosoma ( Fig. 17 ): Sternal setae short (c. 16-18 µm), smooth and needle-like, with several supplementary setae (14 pairs), situated on small protuberances, their position presented in Fig. 17 . Surface of sternal shield smooth. Ventral shield without sculptural pattern, all ventral setae (13-14 pairs) smooth and needle-like (c. 15-20 µm), situated on small protuberances.Adanal setae similar in shape and length to ventral setae, postanal seta absent. Genital shield oval, without any process and pattern, but a perigenital line present near basis of genital shield. Genital shield placed between coxae II and III. Peritremes hook-shaped.

Tritosternum ( Fig. 18 ) with narrow basis, tritosternal laciniae divided into three marginally pilose branches.

Gnathosoma ( Fig 19 ): Corniculi horn-like, internal malae divided into marginally pilose branches. Hypostomal setae h1 short (c. 50 µm) and smooth, h2 (c. 55 µm), h3 (c. 120 µm) and h4 (c. 55 µm) marginally pilose. Epistome marginally pilose ( Fig. 20 ). Fixed digit of chelicerae longer than movable digit, cheliceral nodes and dorsal seta present ( Fig. 21 ). Palp trochanter with one smooth and one serrate setae, other setae on palp smooth.

Legs ( Figs 22-25): Bearing smooth and simple setae, the first leg with ambulacral prolongation.

Male. Length of idiosoma 1140-1220 µm, width 950-1020 µm (n= 3). Shape, dorsal aspect of idiosoma same as in female.

Ventral aspect of idiosoma (Fig. 26): Sternal setae short (c. 8-12 µm), smooth and needle-like with several supplementary setae (10-13 pairs), situated on small protuberances. Surface of sternal shield smooth. Genital shield circular, without sculptural pattern and situated between coxae III. Ventral setation, processes of gnathosoma and legs same as in female.

Nymphs and larva. Unknown.

Etymology. I dedicate the new species to J. T. Pusateri, who collected several nice Uropodina mites in New Zealand.

Remarks. Following Hirschmann’ s ( Wišniewski & Hirschmann 1993) subgeneric system, this species with the perigenital line on basal margin of genital shield of female belongs to the Oplitis nitida -group. Two species are known from this group, the first one is described from Borneo ( O. mollis Hiramatsu, 1983 ), this species has reticulate sculptural pattern on dorsal shield, this pattern is missing on the dorsal shield of the second known and the new species. The other one is known from Australia [ O. nitida (Womersley, 1959) ], the latter species is similar to the new species, but the new species is bearing 14 pairs of ventral setae (10-11 pairs ventral setae in O. nitida ) and the anterior part of the peritremal hook shorter in the new species.

Figures

Figs 15- 21. Oplitis pusaterii spec. nov., female. 15. Dorsal view of idiosoma. 16. Dorsal and marginal setae. 17. Ventral view. 18. Tritosternum between coxae I. 19. Ventral view of gnathosoma and palp. 20. Epistome. 21. Chelicera (see above).