Acineta sulcata Dons, 1927

Chаtterjee, Tаpаs, Dovgаl, Igor, Pešić, Vlаdimir & Zаwаl, Аndrzej, 2018, A checklist of epibiont suctorian and peritrich ciliates (Ciliophora) on halacarid and hydrachnid mites (Acari: Halacaridae & Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 4457 (3), pp. 415-430 : 416

Acineta sulcata Dons, 1927

= Acineta benesaepta Schultz, 1933

= Donsia sulcata ( Dons, 1927) (cf. Jankowsky, 1967)

= Plicophrya sulcata ( Dons, 1927) (cf. Jankowski, 1975)

Records on halacarid mites: Acineta sulcata was reported on halacarid mites from the Norwegian coast near Trǿmse ( Dons 1927). Suctorian ciliates were later observed by Schulz (1933) on halacarid mites from Kiel Bay and named A. benesaepta . Kahl (1934) mentioned that the species was regularly observed in Kiel Bay on halacarid hosts. Precht (1935) later found A. sulcata (under synonymic name A. benesaepta ) in Kiel Bay on a species of Copidognathus .

Gosse (1855) reported Acineta sp. on the legs of a halacarid mite Thalassarachna basteri (Johnston, 1836) , which erroneously was identified as Halacarus ctenopus Gosse, 1855 – cf. Bartsch, 2001a. Bartsch & Dovgal (2010) commented about this suctorian specimen and identified as Acineta sulcata Dons, 1927 , probably.

Jankowski (1981, 2007) noted numerous finds of this species on halacarid mites from the coast of the Barents Sea.

This species was also found by Dovgal on the legs of an unidentified freshwater halacarid mite from the Unava River near Fasrov (Fastov region, Kiev Province, Ukraine) ( Dovgal & Pešić 2007; Dovgal et al. 2008b; Dovgal 2013). In Dovgal & Pešić (2007), the mite host was indicated erroneously as an oribatid ( Dovgal et al. 2008b).

Bartsch & Panesar (2000) recorded Acineta sp. on the idiosoma and legs of Halacarellus hyrcanus (Viets, 1928) (= Caspihalacarus hyrcanus Viets, 1928 ) from the Danube River near Vienna, Аustria, and commented that this suctorian was probably A. tuberosa Ehrenberg. Аfter observing the figures of that species ( Bartsch & Panesar 2000 Fig. 1), Dovgal et al. (2008a) commented that it probably is A. sulcata .

Other Hosts: Precht (1935) in addition to halacarid hosts reported the species in Kiel Bay on ostracods Cythereis tuberculata (Sars, 1865) and Hemicythere villosa (Sars, 1866) .

Fernandez-Leborans et al. (2013) reported A. sulcate as epibiont on the hydrozoan Dycorine conferta, which was found on gastropod shells inhabited by the hermit-crab Pagurus bernhardus from the west coast of Scotland.

Remarks: The species is possible specific to halacarid mites, even when found in freshwaters. The finding of the species on hydrozoans (Fernandez-Leborans et al. 2013) and ostracods ( Precht 1935) needs further investigation.