Pulaeus Den Heyer, 1980

Castro, Tatiane Marie Martins Gomes De & Heyer, Jacob Den, 2009, A revision of the genus Pulaeus Den Heyer, with descriptions of a new genus and four new Brazilian species (Acari: Prostigmata: Cunaxidae), Zootaxa 2141, pp. 20-36 : 21-22

Genus Pulaeus Den Heyer, 1980 a

Eupalus — Ewing, 1909: 402; Berlese, 1916: 293; Thor & Willmann, 1941: 183

Cunaxoides— Baker & Hoffmann, 1948: 245–246

Pulaeus— Den Heyer, 1980a: 19; El-Bishlawy & Rakha, 1983: 373–375; Bu & Li, 1991: 70–72; Barilo, 1991: 132–134; Corpus-Raros, 1996: 119–138; Lin et al, 2001: 145–153

Neocunaxoides— Chaudhri, 1977: 50; Chaudhri et al, 1979: 176–177; Tseng, 1980: 267–272

Type species: Eupalus pectinatus Ewing, 1909 .

Historical-taxonomic review. Species belonging to this genus are (re-) described and/or figured by the following: Ewing (1909) describes a new species from Illinois, USA, viz. Eupalus pectinatus . Berlese (1916) describes E. sternalis as a new species from Palermo (Panormitano), Italy but also states that this form differs from E. pectinatus , which he received from Ewing, only in palp length. The co-author in 1975 studied specimens of these species in the Berlese Collection in Florence and concluded that they are conspecific. Berlese describes in the same paper a new species, viz. E. subterraneus , from a nest of field mice at Terrara, Italy. Thor & Willmann (1941) provide redescriptions of all above species. In their work on the Cunaxidae Baker & Hoffmann (1948) provide redescriptions of all above-mentioned species. Muma (1960) gives a short description and drawings of a new species from Florida, USA, viz. C. pectinellus . We regard this species to be conspecific with P. pectinatus mentioned in this paper. Chaudhri et al (1979) redescribed Neocunaxoides krama Chaudhri, 1977 ; this species very strongly resembles P. longignathus Bu & Li, 1987 and is regarded by us as a new combination. We are also of opinion that the following species remain in this genus: Cunaxoides americanus Baker & Hoffmann, 1948 ; P. ardeola, Barilo, 1991 ; P. cebuensis Corpuz-Raros, 2007 ; P. chongqingensis Bu & Li, 1987 ; P. longignathus Bu & Li, 1987 ; P. m u s c i Liang, 1985; P. rimandoi Corpuz- Raros, 1996; P. s a m a re n s i s Corpuz-Raros, 2007 and P. w h a r t o n i ( Baker & Hoffmann, 1948).

Redescription. Mites of this genus are rather well sclerotized and characterised by the presence of fairly well-demarcated idiosomal shields, of a depression for peg organ on tarsus I proximally positioned; genital setae (g1—g4) in approximately straigth row; palp tibiotarsus with a single pointed process. In his redescription of one of the species, viz. Pulaeus glebulentus Den Heyer, Smiley (1992) mentioned the following numbers of setae on basifemora I—IV: 4 sts—5 sts—4 sts—2 sts; he informed that the redescription presented by him corresponds to the original description of the species. Although, the numbers of the setae he mentioned for the basifemora I—IV do not correspond to those presented in the original description of that species (4 sts—6 sts—3 sts—2 sts) being characteristic of the genus, the taxonomical position of P. glebulentus remains unchanged.

Etymology: The co-author, when he erected the genus Pulaeus Den Heyer, 1980 a, did not explain the name of this genus. The name is an anagram of the name Eupalus , as given by Koch (1838), a name restricted to the subfamily Cunaxoidinae, as is the genus name Lupaeus , as applied in the paper.