Atractides spinipes Koch, 1837

Gerecke, Reinhard, 2014, The water mites of the genus Atractides Koch, 1837 (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Hygrobatidae) in Corsica and Sardinia, Zoosystema 36 (4), pp. 735-759 : 755

Atractides spinipes Koch, 1837

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Corsica. F 40b, 3 ♀♀ ; F 40f, 1 ♀; F 40h, 1 ♂; F 41d, 1 ♂; F 41g, 1 ♂; F 43g, 1 ♀; F 44d, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; F 44e, 1 ♀; F 44f, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; F 73d, 2 ♀♀; F 73f, 2 ♀♀; F 73g, 1 ♀; F 79, 1 ♀; F 81, 1 ♀. Sardinia. I 335, 1 ♀, 1 dn; I 336, 1 ♀; I 373, 1 ♀ ( MNHN). Corsica. F 44f, 2 ♀♀ ; F 73d, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; F 73f, 3 ♀♀; F 79, 2 ♀♀; F 81, 1 ♀ (Coll. RG) .

DISTRIBUTION. — Western, Central and Southern Europe, scattered records. Data published in the past centuries referring to other species ( Gerecke 2003). First records from the area covered.

HABITAT. — Rhithrobiont. Low and middle order streams, in the area covered from 100 to 1800 m, most records from middle elevations.

REMARKS

The distribution area of this only recently defined species is still rather unclear ( Gerecke 2003). As elsewhere, also in the area covered it has been probably overlooked due to its particular life cycle, with adults emerging in late autumn and present mostly during the cold season. This phenological pattern finds confirmation also in Corsica thanks to the unpublished [?]seasonal study conducted by Astrid Schwarz in the Fango and Porto catchments on Corsica (sites F 40-41, 44, 73, Schwarz & Schwoerbel 1997).