Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) membranator Thor, 1901

Smit, Harry, Gerecke, Reinhard, Pešić, Vladimir & Gledhill, Terence, 2015, On the taxonomic state of water mite taxa (Acari: Hydrachnidia) described from the Palaearctic, part 3, Hygrobatoidea and Arrenuroidea with new faunistic data, Zootaxa 3981 (4), pp. 542-552 : 551

Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) membranator Thor, 1901

Material examined. Iceland. 3/1/0, Ponds S of Reykjanes, 65º55’N 22º24’ W, 21-vi-1994, leg. A. Olsthoorn & A. Bouman; 3/2/0, Ponds Storhol, 64º30’ N 14º32’W, 30-vi-1994, leg. A. Olsthoorn; 1/3/0, Glacier lakes Skaftafel, 1- vii-1994, leg. A. Olsthoorn; 0/1/0, Hot stream Geysir, 64º19’ N 20.20’ W, 3-vii-1994, leg. A. Olsthoorn & A. Bouman; 2/4/0, Ditch along road NE of Reykjavik, 64º 17’44,8”N 21º 26’32,3” W, 21-vi-2012, leg. A. van Heerden; 1/2/0, Small pond NE of Reykjavik, 64º 13’39,8” N 21º 21’ 21,2 W, 22-vi-2012, leg. A. van Heerden; 2/2/ 0, Ditch NE of Reykjavik, 63º 53’11,1”N 29º 45’43,5” W, 22-vi-2012, leg. A. van Heerden. Kyrgyzstan. 2/1/0, Rheocrenes and spring-fed pond along road Korchor-Balyksy, 42º 16.391 N 75º 51.204 E, alt. 1761 m a.s.l., 15- viii-2013, leg. H. Smit & V. Pešić.

Arrenurus membranator has a widespread distribution in northern Europe. Furthermore, it is known from Greenland. The records from Iceland, the first for the country, fit in this distribution pattern. The record from Kyrgyzstan extends the distribution area far eastwards.

This paper is an opportunity to inform the community of our global condition in taxonomy and systematics. Many species: 1.) have inadequate descriptions and/or lost types, 2.) are new species to science, and 3.) are disclosed by new techniques, e.g., the use of mtDNA. The result is a maze of names that require re-evaluation in order to reveal previously unknown relationships and cryptic species. Thus, extensive ‘re-editions’ are essential to bring together changes under one heading.