Limnochares aquatica (Linnaeus, 1788)

Pešić, Vladimir, Zawal, Andrzej, Ferreira, Sónia, Benitez-Bosco, Laura, Cruz-Oliveira, Ana, Girão, Dinis, Padilha, Adriana, Turaccio, Paolo, Rossini, Samantha, Ballini, Lorenzo, Staffoni, Giorgia, Fratini, Sara, Ciofi, Claudio, Iannucci, Alessio, Ekrem, Torbjørn & Stur, Elisabeth, 2024, DNA barcode library of Portuguese water mites, with the descriptions of two new species (Acari, Hydrachnidia), ZooKeys 1217, pp. 119-171 : 119-171

Limnochares aquatica (Linnaeus, 1788)

Material examined.

Portugal, Guarda: • Manteigas, Poço do Inferno , 40.373°N, 7.516°W, 1078 m a.s.l., 21 Aug. 2023, leg. Ferreira, Benitez-Bosco & Padilha, 1 ♀ (sequenced) ; • Seia, Casa do Loureiro , 40.433°N, 7.701°W, 415 m a.s.l., 19 Jul. 2023 leg. Ferreira & Padilha, 1 ♀ (sequenced) .

Remarks.

The examined specimens in our study, keyed to L. aquatica following Davids et al. (2007), form a unique BIN ( BOLD: AFV 0270). The p - distance between the latter BIN and its nearest neighbor, BOLD: ACS 0438, which includes specimens of L. aquatica from the Netherlands, Norway, Montenegro, and Italy, was estimated at 11.72 %, indicating the need for taxonomic revision of L. aquatica complex to identify possible undescribed cryptic species.

Distribution.

Holarctic. In Portugal previously reported from Beira Alta and Alentejo ( Lundblad 1956).