Cruralonga gracilipes (Womersley, 1963), 2025

Cruralonga gracilipes (Womersley, 1963) comb. nov.

Neotrombidium gracilipes Womersley, 1963 a p. 473 , Australia; 1 ♀; Holotype; larva; Fig. Tree Cave , Wombeyan, New South Wales; 21 Aug. 1960; B. Dew leg.; SAMA J 14199 .

Type-specimen.

Holotype larva, mounted on microslide in Hoyer’s medium. Original labels: “ Fig. Tree Cave / Wombeyan / 21-8 - 1960 / Det H. Womersley ”, “ LEEUWENHOEKIIDAE / Neotrombidium / gracilipes sp. nov. / Det H. Womersley ” .

Description.

Sensilla with cilia along most of length. Cheliceral base 91. Coxa I and II, and their setae, obscured except for distalmost, external portions. Coxa III has a typical outline with a single long setae in internal angle. Where coxal cuticle is visible, it is seen through air spaces, and appears apparently, but probably not truly, as fine pitting. Other relevant details obscured. Womersley (1963 a) figure shows 62 dorsal setae.

Discussion.

This slide awaits careful remounting due to air spaces obscuring nearly all features (Fig. 23 View Figure 23 ).

Singer (1971 a) commented on the “ unique palp chaetotaxy ” of N. gracilipes . However, the specimen did not appear to have been observed. Womersley’s (1963 a) figure clearly does not depict all the setae on palp tarsus and tibia. Helpfully, cavers are sampling from this cave and others in an attempt to recollect this species.

Neotrombidium gracilipes is transferred to Cruralonga gen. nov. based on its description matching details for the diagnosis of Cruralonga larvae given here. Separate names for larval ( N. gracilipes ) and postlarval forms of Neotrombidium ( N. gracilare ), both with types from Fig. Tree Cave, New South Wales were erected ( Womersley 1963 a, b). However, unless reared or sequenced specimens can be matched with types, assessment of variation at the type locality may yet be required to resolve an outstanding question of possible synonymy. This example shows that heterospecificity is not an innocuous assumption when enacted formally without sufficient evidence.