Pedrocortesella conundrum Hunt 1996, n.sp.
Creators: name: Hunt, Glenn S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1996
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Sarcoptiformes
Licnodamaeidae
Pedrocortesella
Pedrocortesella conundrum

description: <i>Pedrocortesella conundrum</i> n.sp. Figs 18, 19 <b>Type material.</b> New South Wales: HOLOTYPE adult, AM KS SEM stub no. <i>S/296,</i> Allyn River Park near crossing of Allyn River, N. of Salisbury, 32°10'S 151°30'E, subtropical rainforest, berlesate bark scraped from trees, G.S.Hunt, 5 October 1993. PARATYPE adult, AM KS SEM stub no. 419, same data. <b>Other material examined.</b> Graham Osier, a PhD student at Macquarie University, has recently sampled this species from soil beneath the litter layer in forest near Taree, New South Wales (Osier, pers. comm., 1996). <b>Diagnosis.</b> Body small-medium, length about 400-450 Ilm; scalps rarely (if at all) carried by adult; sensillus long flattened tuberculate blade; notogaster reticulatealveolate, 6 pairs of notogastral setae, 4 pairs posterior to fissura <i>ip,</i> seta <i>p2</i> at same level on posterior flank as <i>pI, p3</i> at higher level on posterolateral flank to <i>p2</i> but not situated dorsally, genitoanal chaetotaxy 6:I:2-3:2 -3, genital setae in straight file, insertion of seta <i>ad3</i> adjacent to posterior 50% of anal valve; claw stalk long. Description ADULT: <i>Body:</i> brown; length 400 <i>Ilm,</i> 430 <i>Ilm. Cerotegument:</i> body with cerotegument tubercles and granules highlighting reticulations; alveoli with fewer and smaller granules (Fig. ISE,F). Setae <i>ro</i> and <i>le</i> and notogastral setae entirely covered by thick deposit (Fig. lSC,D). <i>Prodorsum:</i> integument reticulate-foveate, carina between <i>le</i> and <i>ro</i> absent; <i>le</i> dorsolateral, distance between them about 0.6 distance between <i>ra,</i> not arising from large pit, <i>ro</i> ventrolateral, its insertion barely seen from above. Pedotectal tooth as in Fig. lSA,B. Bothridium abutting notogaster but not tightly adpressed (Fig. ISA,B), wall subcircular in dorsal view, slightly depressed posteriorly and anteriorly, posterolateral carina very strong, abutting notogaster (Fig. lSG); sensillus length subequal to interbothridial distance, with long flattened tuberculate blade (Fig. lSA,G), posterior margin of prodorsum forming a smooth arc between bothridia. <i>in</i> small, set close bothridial wall just inside edge of dorsosejugal furrow, spiniform (Fig. ISA,G). <i>Exuvial scalps:</i> none seen. <i>Notogaster:</i> oval, length:width 290:210, 300:220. Intramarginal depression oval, interrupted posteriorly. Notogaster centrally with raised area slightly depressed mesally in both specimens (possibly an artefact) (Fig. ISA), reticulate-alveolate, not perforated by pores (Fig. ISA,F); posterior margin not invaginate when viewed from above; without carina between setae <i>pi</i> when viewed posteriorly (Fig. ISD). Fissura <i>ia</i> subparallel, <i>im</i> and <i>ip</i> oblique to sagittal plane; 6 pairs of notogastral setae arising from small pits, <i>hi</i> widely separated, each located well inside posterior margin; <i>pi</i> with similar spacing to <i>hi; p2</i> at same level on posterior flank as <i>pi, p3</i> higher on posterolateral flank but still not dorsal; <i>lp</i> on posterodorsal flank close to fissura <i>ip</i> and inserted posterior to it (Fig. lSE), and <i>Im</i> lying dorsally well inside the lateral margin and anterior to fissura <i>ip. Gnathosoma:</i> rutella basally with weak concave flexure and moderate lateral buttressing, pointed mesad processes and transverse striations absent (Fig. 19B). Pedipalp tarsus with setae <i>(vt), cm</i> and <i>I"</i> smooth; apophysis supporting seta <i>acm</i> low; solenidion <i>omega</i> reaching to base of <i>acm</i> (Fig. 19F). <i>Genitoanal region:</i> reticulatefoveate. Separation of anal and genital vestibules broad with little or no interruption of ventral plate microsculpture between the vestibules (Fig. 19A). Genitoanal chaetotaxy 6:1:2-3:2-3; genital setae in arcuate file, most posterior inserted anterior to inner posterior corner, not in marginal notch, seta <i>ag</i> at level between g5 and <i>g6;</i> seta <i>adi</i> barely postanal, <i>ad2-3</i> arranged around posterior margin of anal valves (Fig. 19A). <i>Legs.</i> Cerotegument in form of tubercles, not in reticular pattern (Fig. 19D); tibia I apophysis very strong (Fig. 19C), overhangs about 40% of tarsus. Setafi" completely cloaked in cerotegument, not placed on distinct apophysis or in common rim with solenidia (Fig. 19C,D); stalk long, lateral claws much weaker than central (Fig. 19E). <b>Variation.</b> One specimen from the type locality has two pairs of anal setae, the other has three anal setae on the left side and an unknown number on the right side. Comments. This species resembles <i>P kanangra</i> in the following characters: the presence of six pairs of notogastral setae; in the wide separation of anal and genital vestibules with little interruption to continuity of ventral plate ornamentation; the reticulate-alveolate pattern on the notogaster; the presence of six pairs of genital setae; and the presence of strong ventral keels on leg femora. It differs in the arrangement of notogastral setae, the structure of tarsus I and the slender lateral claws on the legs. The disposition of notogastral setae in <i>P conundrum</i> is somewhat intermediate between other <i>Pedrocortesella</i> species (Fig. ID), and the condition in <i>Pheroliodes,</i> which most closely resembles the nymphal arrangement of setae <i>pi</i> to <i>p3</i> (Fig. 1 C). In <i>P conundrum,</i> seta <i>p2</i> remains with <i>pi</i> but <i>p3</i> appears to have partly migrated towards the dorsal surface. Like <i>P kanangra,</i> this species is tentatively placed in <i>Pedrocortesella.</i> Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition referring to the doubtful generic status of this species and the puzzling mix of generic characters. <b>Distribution.</b> Barrington Tops and Taree districts, New South Wales
description: Published as part of <i>Hunt, Glenn S., 1996, A review of the genus Hexachaetoniella Paschoal in Australia (Acarina: Cryptostigmata: Pedrocortesellidae), pp. 223-286 in Records of the Australian Museum 48 (3)</i> on pages 249-251, DOI: 10.3853/j.0067-1975.48.1996.431, http://zenodo.org/record/4654998