Tribolonychus Zhang & Martin

Beard, Jennifer & Walter, David Evans, 2010, New spider mite genus (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) from Australia & New Zealand, with a discussion of Yezonychus Ehara, Zootaxa 2578, pp. 1-24 : 2-3

Tribolonychus Zhang & Martin

Type species: Tribolonychus collyerae Zhang & Martin 2001: 321

Diagnosis. Three pairs of prodorsal setae, nine pairs of dorsal opisthosomal setae, seta f2 absent, setae h1–3 present; empodia lacking basal stalk, split into three separate prongs (trifid), i.e. two lateral prongs, one smaller dorsomedial prong; tenent hairs elongate, fine. Insertion of posterior dorsal opisthosomal setae h2 posterior to insertion of setae h1 (h2 inserted in commonly observed position). Female with spinneret (suζ) longer than broad.

Remarks. Based on the importance of pretarsal morphology to the systematics of the Tetranychidae , this monospecific genus was erected to accommodate T. collyerae , for its unusual empodium which is split into three separate claw-like projections.