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

description: <i>Pedrocortesella subula</i> n.sp. Figs 41, 42 Type material. Queensland: HOLOTYPE adult, ANIC, 2 km W. of Chillagoe, 17° 09'S 144°31'E, deciduous vine thicket, 330 m, ANIC litter berlesate 341, Taylor &amp; Feehan, 28 June 1971. PARATYPES: AM KS43672, same data as holotype, 2 adults; QM, same data, 2 adults; WAM, same data, 2 adults; ANIC, same data, 44 adults; FMNH, same data, 2 adults; CNC, same data, 2 adults; AM KS46526 SEM stub no. <i>SI</i> 203 (ill), same data, 4 adults; AM KS46527 SEM stub no. <i>S/206</i> (ill.), same data, 3 adults; AM KS46528 SEM stub no. <i>S/342</i> (ill.), same data, 3 adults. Other material examined. Western Australia: AM KS46529, SEM stub no. S/llO (ill.), 14 km S. by E. of Kalumburu Mission, CALM site <i>4/3,</i> 14°25'S 128°40'E, closed forest, litter, ANIC berlesate 1076, TA Weir, 3- 6 June 1988, 5 adults; AM KS43673, same data, 8 adults; WAM, same data 7 adults; ANIC, same data, 10 adults; AM KS46530, SEM stub no. SI159 (ill.), 5.6 km W. of Evelyn Island, 14°07'S 127°31'E, rainforest, berlesate litter, CALM site <i>10/2,</i> CALM staff, 25 -31 January 1989, 4 adults; WAM, same data, 1 adult; AM KS43674, same data, 2 adults. Diagnosis. Body medium sized, length about 600-650).lm; scalps rarely (if at all) carried by adult; sensillus with long flattened tuberculate blade; notogaster densely punctate, with caudal notch when viewed from above, 5 pairs of notogastral setae, with cerotegument they are leaf-shaped; genital and anal vestibules close; genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:1:2:3, genital setae in slightly arcuate file, level of insertion of <i>ad3</i> at about half length of anal valve; claw stalk short. Description ADULT: <i>Body:</i> brownish; length of 2 specimens from Chillagoe is 600 f.!m, 645 f.!m. <i>Cerotegument:</i> body generally with thin veneer of cerotegument; reticulations on prodorsum and notogaster and rim of bothridium highlighted with cushion-like tubercles of cerotegument which may coalesce into crests; basic stellate nature of tubercles evident in side view (Fig. 42D). Setae <i>ro</i> and <i>le</i> and notogastral setae without obvious cerotegument. Legs with cerotegument capping the reticulate surface ornamentation which is of much lower relief than in <i>P. propinqua. Prodorsum:</i> integument divided into 3 fields: rostral field with loose reticulation pattern with some crests coalescing into a carina anterior to and posterior to setae <i>le;</i> a strongly reticulate-alveolate field anterior to median transverse furrow, alveoli perforated by pore; a bothridial field with reticulations, pores and carinae (Fig. 41B). <i>le</i> dorsolateral, distance between them about 0.7 distance between <i>ro,</i> not arising from large pit, <i>ro</i> ventrolateral. Pedotectal tooth similar to <i>P propinqua.</i> Bothridium abutting notogaster (Fig. 42D), wall more rounded than in <i>P propinqua;</i> posterolateral carina weak, carina of similar strength anteriorly, bothridium abutting but not closely adpressed to notogaster; sensillus length about 0.75 interbothridial distance, with long flattened tuberculate blade. <i>in</i> small, set almost one bothridial diameter from bothridial rim and somewhat away from dorsosejugal suture level with anterior ofbothridium, spiniform but largely encased in cerotegument (Fig. 42D). <i>Exuvial scalps:</i> none seen. <i>Notogaster:</i> oval but wide, length:width 425:330. Intramarginal depression oval; central plateau weakly developed. Dorsum densely punctate (Fig. 41A,D). Posterior margin weakly invaginate when viewed from above, with weak mesal carina ventral to setae <i>pI</i> when viewed posteriorly. Fissura small; <i>ia</i> and <i>im</i> oblique and <i>ip</i> perpendicular to sagittal plane. 5 pairs of conspicuous awl-shaped notogastral setae; <i>hI</i> very widely separated, not converging at their tips, each located just inside posterior margin; <i>pI</i> inserted high on posterior flank, further apart than <i>hI; lpx, p2x</i> and <i>p3x</i> arise inside posterolateral flank, their insertions clearly visible from above, <i>lpx</i> and <i>p2x</i> equidistant to fissura <i>ip, lpx</i> inserted posterior to it (Fig. 41E). <i>Gnathosoma:</i> pedipalp not examined. Rutella basally with moderate concave flexure and moderate lateral buttressing, pointed mesad processes and transverse striations absent. <i>Epimeral region:</i> convex immediately anterior to genital valves though not tending to overhang them. <i>Genitoanal region:</i> separation of anal and genital vestibules relatively narrow with deep transverse grooves and a narrow isthmus between the vestibules (Fig. 42A). Entire venter punctate, though less densely than notogaster. Genitoanal chaetotaxy 7:I:2:3; genital setae in slightly arcuate file, <i>gI</i> slightly longer than other setae, inserted near inner anterior corner; g5 situated at about 0.5 valve length, g7 inserted anterior to inner posterior corner, not in notch; setae <i>ag</i> inserted at level posterior to <i>g6;</i> setae <i>adI</i> distinctly postanal, more so than <i>P propinqua, ad3</i> level with about 0.5 length of anal valve. <i>Legs.</i> Distal apophysis of tibia overlaps about 50% of tarsus (Fig. 42E). Tarsal cluster of leg I placed distodorsally on apophysis, above and slightly proximal to setae <i>tc; fi"</i> enclosed in its own rim; <i>omega I</i> and 2 within a separate rim, widely separated and shorter than <i>fi";</i> tarsus lacking distal recess for receiving retracted unguinal complex, stalk short. Variation. The two populations in Western Australia have thinner leaf-shaped notogastral setae due to a lesser accumulation of cerotegument (Fig. 41G). Comments. <i>Pedrocortesella subula</i> appears most closely related to another northern Australian species, <i>P. calmorum,</i> in the form of the notogaster, but differs in having leafshaped notogastral setae and less body cerotegument. Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin noun in apposition meaning "awl" in reference to the shape of the notogastral setae. Distribution. Tropical northern Australia.
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 276-279, DOI: 10.3853/j.0067-1975.48.1996.431, http://zenodo.org/record/4654998