Limnesia (Limnesia) monodi Walter, 1946

Smit, Harry, 2021, Water mites from West Africa (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 61 (3), pp. 700-746 : 706-707

Limnesia (Limnesia) monodi Walter, 1946

( Figure 2 )

New records. The Gambia. 1/1/1, pond Chamois Bridge, Basse, Upper River Division, 11 Feb. 1998 ; 8/2/1, pool along Prufu Bolon stream, Basse, Upper River Division, 12 Feb. 1998. Ghana. 0/1/0, Lake Agbo near Dahwenya, 5°46′44.80″ N 0°3′4.36″ E, 27 Dec. 2009, leg. P. Wondergem; 2/15/2, Black Volta River at Buipe, 8°45.674′ N 1°27.320′ W, 76 m a.s.l., 6 Mar. 2011 ; 0/5/0, Inlet Volta River at Kpong, 6°09.183′ N 0°03.709′ E, 25 m a.s.l., 10 Mar. 2011 ; 0/8/0, Lake Dahwenya, 5°46.760′ N 0°03.049′ E, 24 m a.s.l., 9 Feb. 2013 ; 13/19/0, Avu Lagoon, 5°59.244′ N 0°42.476′ E, 13 m a.s.l., 18 Feb. 2013 ; 0/3/0, Inlet Volta River at Kpong, 6°09.183′

N 0°03.709′ E, 25 m a.s.l., 27 Feb. 2013.

Remarks. The male matches the description of Walter (1946) and Lundblad (1949), but almost all female specimens have the Cx-I separated ( Figure 2 ), unlike the descriptions of the latter authors. In a few females of this study Cx-I are near-fused. Lundblad (1949) described the subspecies L. monodi processifera with Cx-I separated, but this subspecies has smaller acetabula. Other subspecies have Cx-I fused, or the female is unknown. For the time being I assigned the specimens from this study to the nominate taxon.

Males of L. maglioi and L. monodi are easy to separate in the large ( monodi ) or small

( maglioi ) ventral extension of P4, but females of L. monodi with Cx-I separated are very similar to L. maglioi . The only differences are the more slender palp of maglioi , and possibly Cxgl-4

are closer to the associated seta in maglioi .

Distribution. Widespread in Africa south of the Sahara.

Figures

Figure 2 Limnesia (Limnesia) monodi Walter, genital field region female, Avu lagoon. Scale bar: 100 µm.