Podocinella Evans & Hyatt, 1958: 926

Santos, Jandir C., Mineiro, Jeferson L. de C. & de Moraes, Gilberto J., 2019, Complementary description of Podocinella misella (Berlese, 1913) (Acari: Podocinidae) and a key to world species of the genus, Acarologia 59 (2), pp. 181-187 : 185-186

Podocinella Evans & Hyatt, 1958: 926

Type species — Podocinum plumosa Evans & Hyatt, 1958 , by original designation.

Gnathosoma — Anterior region of epistome with three distal extensions, spiculate or not. Hypostome with h 2 much shorter than h 1, h 3 and pc. Deutosternum delimited by lateral lines P. ( misella ) or not visible ( P. plumosa ), usually with smooth anteriormost transverse line followed by five ( P. plumosa ) or six ( P. misella ) rows of 12–23 denticles each. Palp tarsal apotele 3-tined. Cheliceral digits similar in length; fixed and movable digits with 5–6 and two teeth, respectively. Idiosomal dorsum. Podonotal and opisthonotal shields fused, covered with small protuberances aligned to constitute a polygonal network (not discernible P in. meghalayaensis Bhattacharyya), with or without lateral notch between Z 1 and Z 3. Dorsal shield with 17–23 pairs of setae (11 in the illustration of P. meghalayaensis ; a few setae not discernible, according to Bhattacharyya, 1994), without supernumerary setae; seta j 1 usually present (absent in P. alstoni Evans & Hyatt and P. plumosa ). Soft lateral cuticle of idiosoma without setae. Dorsal setae serrate (also referred to as ciliate, plumose or pilose by various authors), stout or slender. Idiosomal venter. Sternal shield with three pairs of setae of similar lengths st (1– st 3); seta st 4 inserted on metasternal plate (apparently on soft cuticle in P. misella ); lyrifissures (iv 1– iv 3) indistinct. Genital shield bearing st 5, posteriorly truncate to slightly convex. Pore gv 2 ( P. misella) on unsclerotised cuticle. Without metapodal plates. Ventrianal shield with three or four pairs of setae in addition to circumanal setae; para-anal and post-anal setae similar in length. soft opisthogastric cuticle with 0–3 pairs of setae.

Peritreme and peritrematic plate — Peritreme about as wide as stigma, usually extending forward beyond level of j 1.

Spermathecal apparatus — Indistinct.

Legs — Leg I much longer than legs II-IV, antenna-like, terminating in a whip-like seta, without pretarsi. Legs II–IV with median section of pulvilli rounded, paradactyli elongate and acuminate.

Male — Unknown.

Remarks — The indistinct sperm access system in Podocinella and the apparent absence of males in this genus lead to the assumption that species of this genus could reproduce by thelytoky. This type of parthenogenesis has been proven by Wong (1967) for Podocinum pacificum .