The holotype female of Tenuipalpus mansoniculus Ghai & Shenhmar, 1984 (replacement name of Colopalpus mansoni Collyer, 1973) is described and illustrated. The nomenclatural history of this species is documented and errors in the original description are corrected.
Introduction
Collyer (1973) described two new species of Colopalpus, including Colopalpus mansoni from leaves of Pomaderris sp. imported from Australia. Colopalpus was synonymised with Tenuipalpus by Meyer (1979). As a result, T. mansoni (Collyer 1973) became a homonym of Tenuipalpus mansoniDe Leon, 1965, and was later replaced with Tenuipalpus mansoniculus Ghai & Shenhmar, 1984.
Tenuipalpus mansoniculus is one of the six species of Tenuipalpus known from Australia (Smiley & Gerson 1995; Halliday 1998), but it is the least known species among these six species. Since its original description by Collyer (1973), no further information is available. In a recent study of the Tenuipalpidae from Australasia, we reexamined the holotype of this species. Since the original description by Collyer (1973) is brief and contains some errors, we herein redescribe the holotype to enable correct identification of this species in the future.
The specimen was examined at 1000 times using DIC Nikon E800 microscope. All measurements were made from the slide-mounted specimen using a stage-calibrated ocular ruler and are given in micrometers (µm) (Zhang & Fan 2004). Body length was measured from the anterior margin of the rostral shield to the posterior end of the idiosoma, and the body width was measured as the greatest width between legs I and II. Setae were measured from the centre of setal base to the tip of the seta; distances between setae were measured from the centre of one setal base to that of the other. Legs were measured from the base of the trochanter to the distal end of tarsus (excluding pretarsus). Terminology follows that of Lindquist (1985).
Tenuipalpus mansoniculus Ghai & Shenhmar, 1984 (Figs. 1–4)
Colopalpus mansoni Collyer, 1973: 531, figs. 2–3.
Tenuipalpus mansoni: Meyer, 1979: 5; Gutierrez & Schicha, 1982: 141.
Tenuipalpus mansoniculus Ghai & Shenhmar, 1985: 117; Smiley & Gerson, 1995: 41; Halliday, 1998: 84.
Material examined
Holotype female. Intercepted in New Zealand quarantine from Pomaderris sp. imported from Australia, 29 May, 1970, forwarded by C. A. F. Jaques to D. C. M. Manson. Originally deposited in Collection of Entomology Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Nelson, New Zealand, and now in New Zealand Arthropod Collection (NZAC), Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand.
Redescription of the holotype female
Gnathosoma. (Figs. 1B, 2) Rostrum reaching middle of femur I, subcapitular setae m setiform, m= 15, m-m= 15. Palp 1-segmented, tarsus with 1 spine-like seta, 18 long.
Idiosoma. (Fig. 1A) 245 long, 125 wide. Rostral shield pitted, with 1 median conical projection. PRODORSUM covered with irregular wrinkles mesally and laterally and a transverse sclerotized bar-like basally, bearing 3 pairs of setiform setae (v2, sc1 and sc2), sc1 about twice as long as v2, and sc2 about 3 times as long as v2; lengths: v2 5, sc1 11, sc2 15; distances: v2-v2 38, v2-sc1 21, sc1-sc173, sc1-sc2 23, sc2-sc2 110. HYSTEROSOMA covered with irregular wrinkles mesally and laterally; bearing 1 pair of pores, 1 pair of humeral setae (c3), 3 pairs of dorsocentral setae (c1, d1 and e1), and 5 pairs of dorsolateral setae (d3, e3, f3, h2 and h1). All setae setiform except flagelliform h2. Lengths: c1 6, d1 5, e1 7, c3 7, d3 4, e3 9, f3 11, h2 205, h1 8; distances: c1-c1 35, d1-d1 16, e1-e1 8, c3-c3 105, d3-d3 95, e3-e3 74, e3-f3 12, f3-f3 60, f3-h2 18, h2-h2 33, h2-h1 9, h1-h1 20.
Venter. (Fig. 2) Venter covered with oblique striae between coxae II–IV and transversal striations posterior to setae 1a; oblique striations between setae 3a-3a V-shaped; oblique striations between 3a and 4a also V-shaped. All coxal setae setiform. Setae 1a flagelliform, middle medioventral setae 3a and posterior medioventral setae 4a setiform. Setae 3a and 4a subequal in length, 1a longest, about 5 times as long as 3a. Lengths: 1a 96, 1b 20, 1c 14, 2b 20, 2c 17, 3a 18, 3b17, 4a 20, 4b 18. Distances: 1a-1a 26, 3a-3a 41, 4a-4a 31. Genital and ventral area with transversal striae mesally and oblique laterally as shown in Fig. 2, bearing 1 pair of aggenital setae (ag) and 2 pairs of gential setae (g1 and g2), setiform. Anal area with 2 pairs of pseudanal setae (ps1 and ps2), ps1 about twice as long as ps2. Setae lengths: ag14, g1 19, g2 16, ps1 20, ps2 11. Distances: ag-ag 16, g1-g1 11, g1-g2 8, g2-g2 23, ps1-ps2 6.
Legs. (Figs. 3–4) Lengths of legs I–IV: 115, 100, 92, 105. Chaetotaxy: coxae 2-2-1-1; trochanters 1-1-1-1; femora 4-4-2-1; genua 3-3-1-1; tibiae 5-5-3-3; tarsus 8+ω-8+ω-5-5. Most dorsal and lateral setae on trochanters, femora, genua and tibiae barbed, lateral setae l′ and l″ on femura I–II, genu I and tibiae I–II spine-like; ventral setae v′, ev′ and bv″ on trochanters and femora setiform, setae v′ and v″ on tibiae I–IV pectinate; Setae ft′ on tarsi I–IV flagelliform, ft″ barbed; unguinal setae u′ and u″ pectinate and equal in length; tectal seta tc′ and tc″ on tarsus I–IV spine-like. Solenidion ω″ and eupathidium p′ζ and p″ζ on tarsi I–II rod-like. Lengths of solenidia: I ω″ 7, II ω″ 7. Claws and empodium reduced, pad-like, each with tenent hairs on each side.
Remarks
Collyer (1973) reported that only tarsus II in the female has a solenidion, but actually tarsi I and II each bears a solenidion. Collyer (1973) also mentioned four paratype females and two paratype males (three females sent to other institutions), but now only the holotype is preserved in NZAC. Collyer (1973) noted that males are similar to females but lack “the sclerotized bar” in the propodosomal area and smaller than females. She observed a solenidion each on tarsi I and II in males—this agrees with the pattern in the holotype female.
Acknowledgements
We thank Dr Qing-Hai Fan (Ministry for Primary Industries, Auckland, New Zealand) for help with references. While this paper was prepared, Zhi-Qiang Zhang was supported by Core funding for Crown Research Institutes from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Science and Innovation Group.
