Leitneria pugio (Karg, 1961)

Murvanidze, Maka, Mumladze, Levan & Todria, Nino, 2019, A contribution to the knowledge of oribatid and mesostigmatic mites (Acari) with new records in Georgia, Persian Journal of Acarology 8 (4), pp. 309-325 : 317

Leitneria pugio (Karg, 1961)

Diagnostic characters – Measurements: male 390 × 225 μm, female 325 × 190 μm; dorsal shield ornamented, divided in two parts, margins of the shields straight; tectum of females with three teeth, medial tooth slightly shorter than lateral ones; posterior part of idiosoma with additional Zx setae between Z1 and Z2; genital opening is rounded from anterior part; ventrianal plate roundish oval, with length and width almost similar in size (63 × 58); Tarsus I with claws. The species differs from L. granulata by the shape of tectum, female with anal rather than with ventrianal shield and shields with net-like structure rather than granulated ( Karg 1993).

Material – Village Zemo Kedi (N 41.438600, E 46.396000, 517m a.s.l.), steppe grassland, five individuals – one male, three females, one tritonymph, coll. Todria, N., 15.06.2017 .

Distribution in Caucasus – New for Caucasus.

Global distribution – Palaearctic ( Karg 1993).

Habitat – Meadows and arable soils ( Karg 1993).