Teratothyas (Ascoteratothyas), Gerecke, 2020

Gerecke, Reinhard, 2020, The early derivative water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia, superfamilies Eylaoidea, Hydrachnoidea and Hydryphantoidea) of Madagascar, Zootaxa 4727 (1), pp. 1-77 : 52-53

Subgenus Ascoteratothyas subgen. nov.

Diagnosis: Gnathosoma slender, L/W ratio <3.5, in lateral view with a straight or only weakly concave ventral margin, attached to a protrusible tube ( Fig. 26 a ). Palps rather short and stout, P-1 with one pennate dorsal seta; P-2 and -3 distally hardly expanding, P-2 bearing three fine dorsal and two strong, pennate, distoventral setae, P-3 with one simple dorsal seta; P-4 relatively short, in addition to the fine, pointed distolateral seta bearing 4 fine, hair-like setae, one dorsally in the proximal half, three flanking P-5-insertion; P-5 slender, with barely curved claws.

Derivatio nominis: Asco - (Greek: ἀσκός), tube, combined with the stem of the genus name, with reference to the protrusible membranous gnathosoma insertion.

Remarks: Ascoteratothyas has the same state as the subgenus Rhynchohansvietsia K.O.Viets & K. Böttger, 1974 in the genus Teratothyasides of the same family, assembling species with a protrusable tube and leaving those without this apomorphy as a remnant. As the character state separating the two genera (all Ac fused to the genital plate–at least one pair of Ac separate) is a rather weak base for separating taxa, future research may result in a reorganization of the whole family. A closer relationship between Ascoteratothyas and Rhynchohansvietsia cannot be excluded.

Type species: Teratothyas (Ascoteratothyas) levigata sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Family Teratothyadidae, Teratothyas (Ascoteratothyas) levigata (MD 069). a.–d. female; a. idiosoma and gnathosoma in situ, dorsal view; b. idiosoma, genital field; c. chelicera; d. gnathosoma with chelicera, lateral view; e.–g. male; e. palp; f. integument structure; g. venter.