Rhynchaustrobates (Rhynchaustrobates) capitalis, Smit & Pešić, 2025

Smit, Harry & Pešić, Vladimir, 2025, New records of hygrobatid water mites from SE Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia Hygrobatidae) with the description of ten new species, Zootaxa 5566 (3), pp. 481-521 : 516

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5566.3.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5A41C10B-C902-4583-AB0F-0E843EB700E3
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14704947
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EC878B-FFC4-B912-80D4-FC07310DF8DB
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Rhynchaustrobates (Rhynchaustrobates) capitalis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Rhynchaustrobates (Rhynchaustrobates) capitalis sp. nov.

Figure 17 View FIGURE 17

Material examined. Holotype male, Pierces Creek , Namadji NP , Australian Capital Territory, 35°21.131 S 148°54.456 E, 659 m asl, 5-ii-2024, leg. Smit, dissected and slide mounted ( ANIC). GoogleMaps

Diagnosis (Female unknown). Coxae in two groups, these being fused on their respective sides, but separated medially; genital field with four pairs of acetabula; ventral margin of P3 with small rounded projection.

Description. Male. Idiosoma ventrally 456 long, dorsally 406 long and 322 wide. Dorsum soft and lined; postocularia on moderately developed platelets ( Figure 17A View FIGURE 17 ), seven pairs of glandularia lying free in the integument; excretory pore terminal. Coxae in two groups, these fused on their respective sides, but separated medially ( Figure 17B View FIGURE 17 ), distance between tips of Cx-I and posterior margin of Cx/IV 400, Cx-III width 291; anterior coxae projecting, gnathosomal bay moderately deep and roundly V-shaped, 77 deep; a triangular projection forming the roof of the camerostome; Cxgl-4 situated well laterally, over the sockets of IV-leg; secondary sclerotization enclosing Vgl-3. Genital field with four pairs of acetabula, incorporated into a platelet which is 191 long and 106 wide; gonopore relatively long and narrow, 66 long.

Palp as illustrated in Figure 17D View FIGURE 17 : dorsal length/height: P1, 25/25; P2, 81/64; P3, 55/53; P4, 81/31; P5, 41/16; ventral margin of P3 with small rounded projection. Gnathosoma 250 long, much longer than high ( Figure 17C View FIGURE 17 ), attached to a long tube of soft integument to produce a protrusible integument. Chelicera 317 long, cheliceral claw relatively large.

Dorsal lengths of I-leg: 56, 63, 86, 111, 125, 118; dorsal lengths of IV-leg: 113, 75, 116, 147, 175, 175.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. Named for its occurrence in the Australian Capital Territory.

Remarks. Due to the lack of a ventral shield and large dorsal plates, and the genital field with four pairs of acetabula the male of the new species resembles R. stylatus Smit, 2001 . The latter species, known only from the female, has the first coxal plates fused and P3 without ventral projection ( Smit 2001).

Distribution. Australian Capital Territory, known only from the type locality.