Hammerella (Woasella) huanucoensis, 2016

Ermilov, S. G. & Friedrich, S., 2016, Additions to the oppioid oribatid mite fauna of Peru (Acari, Oribatida, Oppioidea), Acarologia 56 (3), pp. 379-391 : 389

GENUS Varioppia MAHUNKA, 1985

The genus Varioppia was proposed by Mahunka (1985) with Varioppia radiata Mahunka, 1985 (= Pulchroppia curarii Franklin and Woas, 1992 ) as type species, and he placed it in the family Oppiidae . It is possible that Mahunka did not include Varioppia in the family Granuloppiidae based on the lack of well-developed costulae on the prodorsum (see generic diagnosis in Mahunka 1985, p. 160). The problem is he incorrectly called "costula" "a sharp line", when in fact costulae are present (not lines), but they are only slightly developed (see Mahunka 1985; Franklin and Woas 1992) as in H. (W.) huanucoensis Ermilov n. sp.

We also note that V. radiata is morphologically most similar to representative of the subgenus Hammerella (Woasella) , H. (W.) parasufflata Ermilov, Sandmann, Marian and Maraun, 2013 (see Ermilov et al. 2013), which have thick costulae, and there are no doubt, that these two species belong to one genus/subgenus. The thickness of the costulae is an intrasubgeneric character in this case. In addition, the other main generic characters of Varioppia correspond to Hammerella (Woasella) (see Ermilov et al. 2012, 2013), therefore based on the above explanations, we do not support the systematic placement of Varioppia in Oppiidae . We also do not accept the taxonomic status of this genus, and propose the following changes: a) Hammerella (Woasella) J. and P. Balogh, 2002 (= Varioppia Mahunka, 1985 n. syn.), b) Hammerella (Woasella) radiata ( Mahunka, 1985) n. comb.