Scheloribates (Topobates) cf. carpathicus, Weigmann & Miko, 1998

Schatz, Heinrich, Fortini, Lorenzo, Fusco, Tommaso, Casale, Francesca, Jacomini, Carlo & Giulio, Andrea Di, 2021, Oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from “ Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime ” (Piedmont, Italy), Zootaxa 5082 (6), pp. 501-540 : 529

Scheloribates (Topobates) cf. carpathicus ?

Scheloribates (Topobates) carpathicus Weigmann & Miko 1998, p. 249 , fig. 2.

Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime: AB very numerous, FRA single records.

General distribution: [ S. (T.) carpathicus : Central Europe (East Slovakia)].

Habitat preferences: [ S. (T.) carpathicus : silvicolous (deciduous forest)]; silvicolous (Alpi Marittime).

Remarks: Body size 420–450 x 265–300 µm, one specimen 540 x 325 µm. The specimens largely resemble Topobates carpathicus Weigmann & Miko (1998 , body length 410–455 µm). A main difference is the presence of the notogastral seta da in the present material (in some specimens also only present as alveola) which is missing or indicated as alveola in T. carpathicus ( Weigmann & Miko 1998) . Some further minor differences are the shape of the anterior pteromorphal edge (directed laterally posteriad in the present material vs. anterior border of pteromorphs strongly sinuated and laterally bent anteriad in T. carpathicus , sacculi larger and partially elongated orifices in the present specimens). A possible conspecifity must be confirmed by comparison with the type material of T. carpathicus . Weigmann & Miko (op. cit.) discuss the generic conception and morphological similarities of Hemileius and Topobates species with Scheloribates and propose to regard these taxa as subgenera of Scheloribates .