Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement No. 52: 209-217 (1995). A new genus and two new species of Parholaspididae from Australia and Papua New Guinea (Acarina: Mesostigmata) R. B. Halliday Division of Entomology, CSlRO, G.P.O. Box 1700, Canberra, A.CT. 2601, Australia Abstract - The mite family Parholaspididae is recorded from the Australasian Region for the first time, on the basis of two new species. Holaspulus confusus sp. novo is described from Queensland and Papua New Guinea, and Neolaspina rugosa gen. nov., sp. novo is described from Queensland. The state of knowledge of the classification and nomenclature of the family world-wide is reviewed. INTRODUCTION but it appears likely that at least some should be The purposes of this paper are to record the transferred to Snaveolaspis (eg. P. hiasmaticus family Parholaspididae in Australia and Papua Petrova, 1967b). The synonymy of Neoparholaspulus New Guinea for the first time, to contribute to the Krantz with Holaspina Berlese was also recognised knowledge of the family by describing a new genus by Krauss (1970) and Farrier and Hennessey (1993). and 2 new species, and to review the state of Petrova-Nikitina (1969) recognised that knowledge of the classification and nomenclature Parholaspulus and Neoparholaspulus were very of the family. closely related, but did not regard them as In his revision of the genera of Macrochelidae, synonymous, and did not include Holaspina in her Evans (1956) erected a new subfamily, the analysis. More recently Petrova (1977) has re­ Parholaspinae, for the genera in which the described the family and constructed a key to the posterior end of the peritreme is straight rather genera, regarding Parholaspulus Evans and than looped or elbowed. Krantz (1960) promoted Holaspina Berlese as separate genera, but omitting the Parholaspinae to the family level, and NeoparllOlaspulus Krantz, Proparholaspulus Ishikawa recognised 27 species arranged in 9 genera. Most and Snaveolaspis Johnston. of these species had been described from Europe Further changes at the generic level have been and North America, with 8 from Singapore, the relegation of Tricholaspis Evans, 1956 into Malaysia, and Indonesia. Since then, many new synonymy with Neparholaspis Evans, 1956, by species have been described, from the former USSR Krantz (1960), and the relegation of Evansolaspis (Petrova 1967a, 1967b, 1968a, 1968b, 1974, 1977), Bregetova and Koroleva, 1960 into synonymy with Hawaii (Tenorio and Marshall 1977), North and Gamasholaspis Berlese, 1904, by Petrova (l967b). Central America (Krantz 1963; Marshall 1964; The most recent keys to the genera of Hirschmann 1966), Japan and south east Asia Parholaspididae are those of Datta and (Ishikawa 1966, 1969, 1976, 1979, 1980a, 1980b, Bhattacharjee (1989) and Tseng (1993), but neither 1980c, 1987, 1991; Yin et al. 1964; Gu 1984; Tseng of these keys covers all the known genera. 1993), and India (Datta and Bhattacharjee 1989, Hennessey and Farrier (1988) found that 1991), and the number of species now known is Macrocheles muscorum Ewing, 1909 is actually a over 100. species of Holaspina, and furthermore, that this There has also been considerable generic re­ name is a senior synonym of both Neoparholaspulus arrangement. Johnston (1969) showed that hurlbutti Krantz, 1960 and Holaspina pulchella Parholaspulus Evans, 1956 and NeoparllOlaspulus Berlese, 1916. Since H. puldzeIla is the type species Krantz, 1960 are junior synonyms of Holaspina of Holaspina, the type species should now be stated Berlese, 1916. All 4 species of Neoparholaspulus were as H. pulchella Berlese, 1916 (= Macrocheles shown to belong to Holaspina, along with the type muscorum Ewing, 1909). species of ParllOlaspulus, P. alstoni Evans, 1956. Hennessey and Farrier (1988) incorrectly Three other species of Parholaspulus were emended the name muscorum to muscarum, but transferred to a new genus, Snaveolaspis Johnston, later reverted to the original correct spelling 1969. The correct generic placement of the (Farrier and Hennessey 1993). There has also been remaining species of Parholaspulus is unresolved. some instability in the spelling of the name of the Most of them could be accommodated in Holaspina, family, which is correctly rendered as 210 R.B. Halliday Parholaspididae and not Parholaspidae as used by Diagnosis some authors (see Steyskal 1970, entry under Dorsal shield with 30 pairs of setae, zl fine, Hypoaspis). smooth, pointed, others long, distally expanded, It is clear that a comprehensive revision of the spatulate to trifurcate; metasternal plates fused family is overdue. That revision has not been with endopodal plates; ventri-anal shield with 4 attempted here. Instead, this paper presents the pairs of pre-anal setae; peritrematal shields fused first records of Parholaspididae from Australia and with exopodal and ventri-anal shields; epistome Papua New Guinea, so that a future revision of the irregularly serrated, with weakly developed lateral family can incorporate information from all and central projections; setae all and al2 on femur biogeographic regions. The need for this type of 11 heavy and spinelike. Leg I without claws. Sternal, information was demonstrated in a recent study genital, ventri-anal, peritrematal, and metasternal that analysed the phylogeny and biogeography of shields of male all fused to form a single Holaspulus in southeast Asia, but did not include holoventral shield; spermatodactyl short and thick, any species from the Australasian region (Ishikawa erect, much shorter than cheliceral digits. 1991). The system of notation used for the dorsal shield Description setae is that of Lindquist and Evans (1965), as applied to the Parholaspididae by Tenorio and Female Marshall (1977). The system of notation for the leg Dorsal shield (Fig. 1). Length 447-573 mm, setae is that of Evans (1963). All specimens are in maximum width 239-295 mm (n=6). Surface the Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO ornamented with a pattern of short irregular Division of Entomology, Canberra. curved ridges, indistinct medially. Lateral margins of shield almost parallel, somewhat indented behind seta r2. Shield carrying 30 pairs of setae. Seta zl short, smooth, pointed; all other setae long, SYSTEMATICS distally expanded, spatulate to trifurcate. Ventral idiosoma (Fig. 2). Base of tritosternum Genus Holaspulus Berlese distinctively shaped, with a pair of small lateral projections; laciniae long and pilose. Pre-sternal Holostaspis (Holaspulus) Berlese, 1904: 265. plates long, narrow, granular, lateral ends fused to sternal shield. Sterna1 shield covered with a Type species polygonal network of distinct ridges; surface inside Holaspulus tenuipes (Berlese, 1904), by monotypy each polygon smooth; anterior margin of shield (= Parholaspis pachylaelapsoides Schweizer, 1932). invaginated behind tritosternum. Shield carrying 3 pairs of smooth pointed setae and 2 pairs of slit­ like pores; bases of st2 lying only slightly outside a line joining the bases of stl and st3; stl and st2 Holaspulus confusus sp. novo equal in length, st3 10% shorter. Metasternal plates Figures 1-8 fused with endopodal plates to form a pair of sub­ triangular shields, each carrying a smooth, pointed Material Examined seta and a lyriform pore. Anterior corners of these shields adjacent to, but not fused with, the sternal Holotype shield. Genital shield sub-rectangular, with sinuate ,?, McNamee Creek, Queensland, Australia, lateral margins, indistinct anteriorly, fused 17°40'5, 145°48'E, 8 July 1971, R. W. Taylor and J. posteriorly with ventri-anal shield; ornamented in Feehan colI., rainforest, all. 40Om., ANIC365. the anterior half with a distinct polygonal pattern of ridges, posterior half smooth. Genital setae Paratypes smooth and pointed. Genital pores located on the Australia: Queensland: 1 ~, 10', same data as ho­ edges of the peritrematal shields behind coxae IV. lotype; 10', Crawford's Lookout, 5 July 1971, R. W. Ventri-anal shield wide, triangular, fused with Taylor and J. Feehan coli., rainforest, all. 320m, genital and peritrematal shields. Shield with ANIC361; 20', 12 km SE. of Milla Milla, 5 July 1971, irregular polygonal ornamentation, carrying 4 pairs R. W. Taylor and J. Feehan coll., rainforest, of pre-anal setae, a pair of para-anal setae, and a ANIC362; I'?, 20', Noah Creek, 16.075, 145.25E, 21 post-anal seta, all setae smooth and pointed, June 1971, R. W. Taylor and J. Feehan coil., circum-anal setae slightly longer than pre-anal rainforest, all. < 5Om. Papua New Guinea: 10', setae. Anus circular, with a distinct crescent­ Vanimo, 10 July 1972, R. W. Taylor coli., rainforest, shaped cribrum bearing a pair of pores at its all. 50m; 3 ~, Kokoda, 1 June 1972, R. W. Taylor extremities. Lateral unsclerotised integument with coil., rainforest, alto 500m. 10 pairs of setae, all distally expanded, each New Parholaspididae 211 1 , r2 J/ ~ ,II' I \ J \ I 1 \ t I \ \ I~ \ ! 1 " I '\ 3 7 .~•••..... ~_/ ~m_mmm .·tf ~- e .,.\" 4 8 Figures 1-8 Holaspulus confusus sp. novo 1, dorsal shield of female; 2, ventral idiosoma of female; 3, chelicera of female; 4, epistome of female; 5, hypostome of female; 6, ventral idiosoma of male; 7, chelicera of male; 8, femur 11 of male, ventral aspect. Scale: 100 !lm (Figs 1, 2, 6), 72 pm (Figs 3, 4, 5). 212 R.B. Halliday mounted on a small circular platelet. Peritrematal an invagination in the anterior margin of the ster­ shields expanded, fused anteriorly with dorsal nal shield. Sterno-genital region with 5 pairs of shield, and posteriorly with exopodal and ventri­ smooth pointed setae and 4 pairs of pores. Lines of anal shields; peritreme slightly undulating, ornamentation polygonal in the sternaI region, extending from coxa I to the stigma at the level of tending to longitudinal between coxae III and IV. coxa IV. Genital and spermathecal structures not Ventri-anal region with 5 pairs of pre-anal setae, a evident, except for a pair of large elongate masses pair of para-anal setae, and a post-anal seta. between coxae III and IV, in which detailed Circum-anal setae longer than pre-anal setae. structure could not be resolved.