Kongsbergia (s. str.) simillima K.Viets, 1949

Gerecke, Reinhard, 2014, Studies on European species of the water mite family Aturidae Thor (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 3841 (1), pp. 1-46 : 29

Kongsbergia (s. str.) simillima K.Viets, 1949

Kongsbergia similis Walter, 1947 , nec K. Viets 1939e

Material examined. Type series: Syntype ♀, NHMB 4758 " Kongsbergia similis , ♀ Typus, Cassarate , bei Tessereta , Kiesbank in Zufluss , 12.07.1944, XVI/08. Walter "; syntype dn, same data as syntype ♀, "XVI/09".

Italy: Sardinia, I 389 Int (2/2/0).

Uncertain record: Italy: Sardinia, I 1162 Int (0/1/0).

First record from Italy.

Remarks. This little known species was first described from a female and a deutonymph only. The first description of the male was given by E. Angelier (1950b), a further male was recorded from an uncertain locality ("benf 141", continental Italy or Corsica?) and described by Gerecke & Di Sabatino (2013). The males from Sardinia are in good agreement with these descriptions, the attribution of the females is uncertain, especially where found not together with males.

Males of K. simillima are characteristic in the presence of a rounded ventral projection on P- 4 in the area of the ventral setae insertions. Kongsbergia clypeata , the only species similar in this character, differs in a more slender idiosoma (L/W> 1.5, in K. simillima <1.5), a smooth proximoventral seta on IV-L-5 (pectinate in K. simillima ) and a stouter P-4 (L/H ratio <2.5, in K. simillima > 2.8). Females found together with male K. simillima are most similar to K. largaiollii and K. ruttneri in the rather short and stout P-4 (as long as, or shorter than, P-2+3, L/H ratio <4.5). From the former they differ in a more slender idiosoma (L/W ratio> 1.5), presence of simple, unmodified setae on dorsal shield, and a stouter P-3 (in K. largaiollii L/H> 1.0, L ratio P-2/P-3, 1.9–2.3). From K. ruttneri they differ in a less slender idiosoma (L/ W 1.5, with rounded lateral margins, in K. ruttneri 1.6–1.8, lateral margins straight) and P-4 (L/H <3.5, in K. ruttneri > 3.5).

Measurements of two males and three females from Sardinia (I 389 Int, I 1162 Int): Males: Idiosoma L/W 352–354/192–196 (ratio 1.8), dL 316; IV-L (L/H, L/H ratio): IV-L-4, 80–82/28, 2.9; IV-L-5, 72/32, 2.25; IV-L-6, 84–90/28, 3.0–3.2; L ratio IV-L-4/5, 1.1; IV-L-4/6, 0.9–1.0; IV-L-5/6, 0.8–0.9. IV-L-5 ventral setae L, proximal 30, central 48, distal 3. Palp measurements (L/H, L/H ratio, relative L % total L): P-1, 18–20/20, 0.9–1.0, 9–10; P-2, 60/46–50, 1.2–1.3, 29; P-3, 24/28–30, 0.8–0.9, 11; P-4, 72/21–22, 3.3–3.4, 34; P-5, 34–36/11–12, 3.0–3.1, 16–17. L ratio P-2/P-3, 2.5; P-2/P-4, 0.8; P-3/P-4, 0.3; P4/P-2+3, 0. 9. Females: Idiosoma L/W 368–400/200–216 (ratio 1.8–1.9), dL 320–360; Palp measurements (L/H, L/H ratio, relative L % total L): P-1, 18/18–20, 0.9–1.0, 8–9; P-2, 50–58/42–50, 1.2–1.3, 26–28; P-3, 24–30/24–30, 0.9–1.0, 12–14; P-4, 70–71/20–24, 2.9–3.5, 33–36; P-5, 32–36/ 12–14, 2.6–2.8, 16–17. L ratio P-2/P-3, 1.9–2.1; P-2/P-4, 0.7–0.8; P-3/P-4, 0.3–0.4; P4/P-2+3, 0.85–1.0.