Australiobates dictyodermis Smit & Pešić, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Smit, Harry
name: Pešić, Vladimir
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Trombidiformes
Hygrobatidae
Australiobates
Australiobates dictyodermis

description: Australiobates dictyodermis sp. nov.
Figures 3–4
Material examined. Holotype male, New South Wales, Upper Minnemurra River W of Robertson, 6-xi-2001, leg. Smit, dissected and slide mounted (AMS). Paratypes: 11/14/0, same data as the holotype, 0/1/0 dissected and slide mounted (AMS, RMNH).
Other material. New South Wales. 5/4/0, Minnemurra River at Minnemurra Rainforest, 34°38.183 S 150°43.272 E, 18-xii-2003 2/2/0, Bugong Creek near Morton NP, 5-xi-2001; 0/1/0, Brindle Creek, Border Ranges NP, 28°22.780 S 153°04.023 E, 12-xi-2003; 2/0/0, Diehard Creek, Mann River Nature Reserve, 29°40.528 S 152°05.282 E, 585 m asl, 21-xi-2003. 7/5/0, Urumbilum River, Bindarri NP, 30°15.966 S 152°57.042 E, 137 m asl, 7-xi-2003.
Diagnosis. Integument reticulate; P3 without setae, ventral margin of P4 with two, somewhat pointed, peg-like setae.
Description. Male. Idiosoma ventrally 916 long and 750 wide. Integument reticulate (both on ventral and dorsal surface) (Figure 4A). Coxal field 541 long, Cx-III width 612; posterior apodemes of Cx-IV short. Genital plate 166 long and 175 wide, genital plate anterior margin equally convex, and with a border of secondary sclerotization, posterior margin slightly concave, three pairs of acetabula in a triangular arrangement (Figure 3B), maximum diameter Ac 1-3: 53, 60, 56; gonopore 116 long.
Palp as illustrated in Figures 3C–D: dorsal length/height: P1, 44/38; P2, 113/75; P3, 153/69; P4, 172/34; P5, 58/21; ventral margin of P3 nearly straight, without setae, ventral margin of P4 with two, somewhat pointed, peg-like setae, distanced from each other, setae at tip of P5 small and only slightly downturned. Gnathosoma with its long posterior process 389 long.
Dorsal lengths of I-leg: 92, 125, 175, 238, 264, 252; terminal segments of I-leg comparatively long and slender (Figure 3E); dorsal lengths of IV-leg: 178, 175, 259, 359, 388, 325; IV-leg-5 with one very short swimming setae.
Female. Similar to male, except for the shape of the genital field (Figure 4B). Idiosoma ventrally 1194 long and 1044 wide. Coxal field 596 long, Cx-III width 744. Genital field 218 long and 238 wide; genital plate 178 long, pregenital sclerite 109 wide, maximum diameter Ac 1–3: 63–66, 63–66, 47; gonopore 188 long; eggs (n = 3) maximum diameter 134–141.
Palp: dorsal length/height: P1, 50/44; P2, 131/81; P3, 183/77; P4, 186/38; P5, 59/20. Gnathosoma with its long posterior process 434 long.
Dorsal lengths of I-leg: 88, 125, 178, 253, 282, 263; dorsal lengths of IV-leg: 181, 188, 281, 386, 436, 334; IVleg-5 with one very short swimming seta.
Etymology. Named for its reticulate integument.
Remarks. The integument with a strong reticulation is not seen in other Australiobates species. This is difficult to see in young specimens, but locally such a pattern is present.
Distribution. New South Wales.
description: Published as part of Smit, Harry & Pešić, Vladimir, 2025, New records of hygrobatid water mites from SE Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia Hygrobatidae) with the description of ten new species, pp. 481-521 in Zootaxa 5566 (3) on page 489, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5566.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/14703311