Agauopsis tricuspis Benard, 1962

Durucan, Furkan, Paz, Juan Carlos De La & Hernández-Teixidor, David, 2023, Halacaridae (Acari) from Tenerife (Canary Islands), Persian Journal of Acarology 12 (1), pp. 1-19 : 5

Agauopsis tricuspis Benard, 1962

Material examined

One female and one male (FDHAL-21/4), El Pris ( Gelidium pusillum , mediolittoral zone); one male, La Barranquera.

Diagnosis

Length of the female was 440 µm, and 380 µm for male. Agauopsis tricuspis is characterized by having five spines on telofemur I and being spread along the eastern North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea ( Bartsch 2015) ( Figs. 3D , 5C, D , 8A–E). The morphological characteristics of the specimens from Tenerife agree well with the previous reports of the species from France (Roscoff) ( Benard 1962) and (Bay of Arcachon) ( Bartsch 1976), and Italy ( Krantz 1970).

Remarks

It was originally described by Benard (1962) from France Atlantic (Roscoff, Bloscon) among barnacles ( Chthamalus stellatus ). Later, the species was reported from the Mediterranean Sea (Adriatic Sea, Venice) amongst mussel beds, by Krantz (1970), and Atlantic France (Bay of Arcachon), again by Bartsch (1976). After that, it was reported from Ireland, United Kingdom, France and Spain, according to Bartsch (1976, 2015).

Figures

Figure 3. Light-microscope images of halacarid species from Tenerife – A. Agaue adriatica (female); B. Agauopsis brevipalpus (female); C. Agauopsis microhyncha (male); D. Agauopsis tricuspis (male); E. Copidognathus lamelloides (male); F. Copidognathus magnipalpus (male); G. Copidognathus remipes (male); H. Halacarus actenos (male); I. Halacarus subtilis (female) (Scale bars: 100 µm).

Figure 5. Light-microscope images of halacarid species from Tenerife – A & B. Agaue adriatica (female) – Medial view of: tarsus I (A), telofemur I (B); C & D. Agauopsis tricuspis (male) – Medial view of: tarsus I (C), telofemur I (D); E–G. Halacarus actenos (male) – tarsus IV (E), integument (F), tip of gnathosoma (G); Rhombognathus procerus: H & J – female, I & K – male, ventral view of gnathosoma (H), genital openings (I, J, K).