Corresponding author: Vladimir Pešić (
Academic editor: A. Bochkov
The genus
The genus
Recently,
This paper gives the description of a new species and a key for the identification of
Water mites were collected by hand netting, sorted on the spot from the living material, preserved in Koenike-fluid and dissected as described by
The composition of the material is given as: males/females/deutonymphs or adults/deutonymphs. All measurements are given in micrometers (µm). The following abbreviations are used: Cx-I = first coxae, dL = dorsal length, H = height, L = length, I/II/III/IV-Leg-1-6 = first to sixth segments of leg I/II/III/IV, IV-Leg-5a = anterior surface of leg IV, segment 5; IV-Leg-5p = posterior surface of leg IV, segment 5; P-1 to P-5 = palp segments 1 to 5,
Holotype male, dissected and slide-mounted, Queensland, Lawn Hill Creek, cascades, Lawn Hill NP, 10.v.2005,
QUEENSLAND: Nankin Creek, Rockhampton, 04.v.1981, leg. A.P. Mackey, 2/3/0; ibid., 20.vii.1981, 2 [damaged]/2 [damaged]/0; ibid., 06.ii.1982, 1/1 [damaged] /0; Innot Hot Springs, 11.viii.1989, 1/0/0; Broken River near Conical Pool, Eungella NP, 18.ix.2000, 1/2/0; Crediton Creek, Eungella NP, 18.ix.2000, 2/7/0; The Millstream, upstream of Millstream Falls, Millstream NP, 16.ix.2000, 0/10/0; Wenlock River at crossing with road to Iron Range NP, 06.ix.2000, 1/1/0; Little Yabba Creek, S of Kenilworth, 20.ix.2000, 2/9/0; Cattle Creek at crossing with road to Finch Hatton Gorge, W of Mackay, 19.ix.2000, 0/6/1; Fletcher Creek, Dalrymple NP, 22.x.2005,
Genital plate with 37–52 acetabula in 3–4 longitudinal rows; palp segments narrow (L/H ratio P-4 4.6–5.2, in both sexes); number of swimming setae: II-Leg-5 1; III-Leg-4p 7–9, III-Leg-5p 5–7, IV-Leg-4a 6–12, IV-Leg-4p 6–12, IV-Leg-5a 2–4, IV-Leg-5p 2–8.
Male. (holotype; in parentheses measurements of paratypes, if not given otherwise n = 5): Idiosoma L/W (800–994/680–813); integument papillae bluntly pointed. Coxal field: L Cx-I+II, 208 (206–226,
Female. (paratypes, n = 3): Idiosoma L/W 840–1044/750–938. Coxal field: L Cx-I+II, 219, Cx-III+IV, 247; number of coxal setae: 18–23 (
Morphometric data for the genital plate, palp and leg segments (2–6) for
MALE | FEMALE | ||
---|---|---|---|
holotype | paratype (n =5, in parentheses |
paratype (n =3) | |
genital acetabula, n | 47–46 | 42–51 (49) | 37–52 (45) |
genital setae, n | 32–46 | 35–43 (38) | 27–33 (31) |
genital plate, L | 191–195 | 184–200 (192) | 175–195 (185 ) |
dL P-1 | 39 | 43–47 (45) | 46–63 (53) |
dL P-2 | 65 | 63–65 (65) | 64–70 (66 ) |
dL P-3 | 44 | 35–48(42) | 43–52 (48) |
dL P-4 | 158 | 163–168 (165) | 168–182 (176) |
dL P-5 | 67 | 62–67 (66) | 69–72 (70) |
Palp, total L | 373 | 376–390 (383) | 390–428 (413) |
H P-4 | 32 | 32–34 (33) | 35–39 (36) |
L/H P-4 ratio | 4.9 | 4.8–5.1 (5.0) | 4.6–5.2 (4.9) |
dL I-Leg-2 | 68 | 72–75 (74) | 73–86 (80) |
dL I-Leg-3 | 94 | 97–100 (99) | 95–109 (103) |
dL I-Leg-4 | 141 | 143–147 (145) | 144–172 (157) |
dL I-Leg-5 | 184 | 184–194 (189) | 194–222 (207) |
dL I-Leg-6 | 172 | 166–184 (179) | 178–194 (189) |
dL II-Leg-2 | 88 | 91–97 (93) | 97–103 (100) |
dL II-Leg-3 | 116 | 116–122 (118) | 119–137 (128) |
dL II-Leg-4 | 191 | 197–203 (201) | 203–234 (220) |
dL II-Leg-5 | 234 | 238–250 (245) | 244–281 (261) |
dL II-Leg-6 | 203 | 200–220 (214) | 191–226 (214) |
dL III-Leg-2 | 91 | 94–103 (98) | 100–116 (109) |
dL III-Leg-3 | 109 | 111–119 (116) | 115–131 (125) |
dL III-Leg-4 | 176 | 185–191 (189) | 192–222 (208) |
dL III-Leg-5 | 219 | 222–234 (229) | 234–267 (249) |
dL III-Leg-6 | 198 | 191–217 (208) | 210–229 (220) |
dL IV-Leg-2 | 122 | 128–141 (132) | 134–159 (146) |
dL IV-Leg-3 | 159 | 159–178 (169) | 175–200 (187) |
dL IV-Leg-4 | 244 | 244–259 (252) | 259–294 (276) |
dL IV-Leg-5 | 261 | 259–281 (272) | 281–322 (299) |
dL IV-Leg-6 | 239 | 231–252 (245) | 255–275 (266) |
Table 2. Number of swimming setae of
male holotype (paratype, n =7) | female (n = 5) | |
II-Leg-5p | 1 (1) | 1 |
III-Leg-4p | 8 (8–9) | 7–9 |
III-Leg-5p | 6 (5–7) | 5–7 |
IV-Leg-4a | 8–9 (8–10) | 9–10 |
IV-Leg-4p | 8–9 (8–9 ) | 8–10 |
IV-Leg-5a | 2–3 (2–3) | 1–3 |
IV-Leg-5p | 4–5 (4–6) | 3–6 |
Number of swimming setae of
Victoria | Queensland | New Southern Wales | Western Australia | Northern Territory | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
male (n =1) | female (n =3) | male (n =4) | female (n =10) | male (n =4) | female (n =3) | male (n =4) | female (n =7) | male (n = 3) | female (n = 4) | |
II-Leg-5p | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
III-Leg-4p | 8 | 9–12 | 8–9 | 8–9 | 8–12 | 10–12 | 7–11 | 6–9 | 8–9 | 7–12 |
III-Leg-5p | 6 | 6–9 | 6–5 | 4–6 | 7–10 | 8–11 | 3–6 | 3–7 | 5–6 | 5–8 |
IV-Leg-4a | 8 | 8–12 | 7–10 | 6–11 | 7–10 | 9–11 | 7–9 | 6–9 | 7–8 | 7–9 |
IV-Leg-4p | 8 | 9–11 | 6–9 | 7–11 | 7–11 | 10–12 | 7–10 | 7–10 | 7–9 | 7–10 |
IV-Leg-5a | 2 | 3–4 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 3–4 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 |
IV-Leg-5p | 5–6 | 7–8 | 3–5 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 5–6 | 4 | 3–4 | 4–5 | 2–6 |
We found variability in the number of swimming setae (
Named for its southern occurrence.
Most specimens were taken from pools of low order streams or from lotic areas of slow flowing streams. Like
Widespread in Australia (Queensland, Victoria, New Southern Wales, Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia).
1 | II-Leg-5 with more than four swimming setae | 2 |
– | II-Leg-5 with one or without swimming setae | 4 |
2 | IV-Leg-5 anteriorly without swimming setae | |
– | IV-Leg-5 anteriorly with 2–5 swimming setae; number of Ac and swimming setae various | .3 |
3 | Genital plate with < 50 Ac in 3–4 rows | |
– | Genital plate > 70 Ac in 5–6 rows | |
4 | IV-Leg-5 anteriorly with 2–4 swimming setae (usually with two swimming setae, occasionally with a single seta, or setae are reduced on one side; the number of setae should be checked in more specimens) | |
– | IV-Leg-5 anteriorly without swimming setae, number of Ac and swimming setae various | 5 |
5 | Genital plate with < 60 Ac in 4–5 rows; legs with a relatively large-sized claw | |
– | Genital plate with > 110 Ac in 5–9 rows; legs with a relatively small-sized claw |
The junior author is indebted to the national park authorities of Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia for their permission to collect in national parks and nature reserves. Truus van der Pal (Alkmaar) assisted on all collecting trips. Johannes Postma (Ann Arbor) reviewed the English. We are thankful to Dr Andre Bochkov (St.Petersburg), and one anonymous referee for their careful work and valuable comments.