Trematoppia cristipes BALOGH, 1964

Mahunka, S., 2011, New And Little Known Oribatid Mites From Madagascar (Acari: Oribatida) Ii., Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 57 (1), pp. 1-21 : 7-9

Trematoppia cristipes BALOGH, 1964

( Figs 13–16 )

The species (and a new genus) was described by BALOGH (1964), based on a single specimen (holotype) only, but it is absent from his collection. In the newly studied material I have also found one specimen, and although it is slightly damaged, it fits the description by J. BALOGH, therefore the identity is unambiguous.

Owing to the limited number of available specimens I give now only a short diagnosis, with some main characters:

Diagnosis: Prodorsum wide, rostrum round. Median costula absent; lateral costula, short transversal costula and one pair of longitudinal crests in interbothridial position present. Sensillus long slightly dilated, lanceolate. Ten pairs of notogastral setae present, setae la and lm present only as alveoli; other notogastral setae barbed. Anterior epimeres covered by two plates, not touching medially. All epimeral setae long, barbed. Genito-anal setal formula: 6–1–2–3, genital setae minute, all other ventral setae much longer, ciliate. All legs monodactylous, tibia of leg IV with ventral cusp, femur IV with wide, serrate ventral keel.

Type species: Trematoppia cristipes BALOGH, 1964

Remarks: The genus Trematoppia BALOGH, 1964 was classified by SUBÍAS (2010) into the oppioid subfamily Lanceoppiinae BALOGH, 1983 . In my opinion it is a misinterpretation, nearly all of the preceding features are different in the two taxa. Therefore, on this basis I relegate it to the family Teratoppiidae BALOGH, 1983 .

Figures

Figs 13–16. Trematoppia cristipes BALOGH, 1964: 13 = body in dorsal view, 14 = body in ventral view, 15 = tibia of leg IV, 16 = femur of leg IV