Georgella asteroidea K.Viets, 1930

Sabatino, Antonio Di, Gerecke, Reinhard, Gledhill, Terence & Smit, Harry, 2009, On the taxonomy of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) described from the Palaearctic, part 2: Hydryphantoidea and Lebertioidea, Zootaxa 2266, pp. 1-34 : 11

Georgella asteroidea K.Viets, 1930

Hydryphantes asteroideus auct.

Material examined: Holotype 3 Spain, SMF 43629.

Description: Male (female unknown): Idiosoma L/W 2000/1600. Frontal shield total L/medial L/W 450/ 340/460, very characteristic in the name-giving star-shape due to the anteromedial projection being narrow and elongated, similar in shape to the two pairs of the lateral extensions. Centre of the shield reduced to a small surface bearing the frontal eye; ratio total L/medial L 1.3, total L/ W 1.0. Genital flap L 320, indented anterior to the centre, on each side with 28 acetabula and 32 fine setae. Gnathosoma L 280, chelicera L 410, L/ H 3.6, basal segment/claw 1.7. Palp segments P-1-5 L/H 80/100, 120/110, 90/90, 180/70, 50/25; setation as in G. helvetica . P-4 relatively short (L ratio P-2/4 0.67, P-4 L/H 2.57).

Discussion: Georgella asteroidea differs from all other species of the genus in the unique shape of the frontal shield and in the dimensions of many sclerites (e.g. frontal shield, genital flaps and gnathosoma are longer in all other species). In the low number of genital acetabula it is similar to G. f i m b r i a t a. The specimens of the type series of the latter species are also similar in the rather stout shape of P-2 (L/H <1.2, in other species> 1.2), but it is not clear if the shape of these segments in G. fimbriata is changed as a mounting artifact.