Atractides losonensis, Gerecke, 2003, Gerecke, 2003

Gerecke, Reinhard, 2003, Water mites of the genus Atractides Koch, 1837 (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) in the western Palaearctic region: a revision, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 138, pp. 141-378 : 314-316

ATRACTIDES LOSONENSIS RENSBURG, 1971

Syn. to A. pumilus ( Szalay, 1946) : syn. nov.

Type series: Holotype ♀, NHMB, Atractides losonensis sp. nov. ♀; NHMB prep. 105 10.10.1968 Golino Losone Grense 12∞ C Coll. 27 (in original description: small stream near army dog training camp 100 m from road). State of conservation: good, left I-L including coxa detached, left Cx-1 + 2 fractured, gnathosoma, one chelicera and left palp detached, all separated appendages in oblique position, measurements not possible . Paratype ♀, NHMB, labelled like holotype, prep. 106. State of conservation: partly desiccated, but subject still surrounded by medium, left IV-L- missing; both I-L, left II-L, gnathosoma and left palp detached, laterally; both palps deformed by crushing, other appendages distorted (probably due to juvenile age) .

Discussion: Rensburg considered A. losonensis to be closely related to A. primitivus , a species here synonymized with A. pumilus , and proposed the following diagnostic differences: V-1–3 unsclerotized; genital plates much shorter than gonopore, articulating with postgen via mediocaudal indentations; Ac different in shape (without giving more details). He was not aware that A. pumilus had first been described as a species without sclerotized V-1–3. The degree of sclerotization of these muscle attachments is obviously subject to intraspecific variability and not suitable for taxonomic purposes. I could not detect any difference between females of A. pumilus and A. losonensis , either in the organization of the mediocaudal margin of genital plates, or in shape of Ac. As the latter agrees with the idiosoma and appendage measurements provided for A. pumilus , it represents a junior synonym of that species.

ATRACTIDES MAGNIPALPIS RENSBURG, 1971

( FIG. 78A–C )

Type series: Holotype ♀ NHMB on two slides, Atractides magnipalpis sp. nov. siehe prep. 127 coll. ♀; Prep. 111 17.10.1968 Foss bei Bedrina 8∞ C Coll. 30, containing idiosoma with both II/III-L and one IV-L in situ, and one chelicera. State of conservation: mounting medium with fine precipitations; Prep. 127: labelled like Prep. 127, containing gnathosoma, both I-L and one IV-L. State of conservation: mounting medium desiccated and subjects crushed, one palp and distal part of one I-L still surrounded by fluid. Locus typicus: Switzerland, Airolo, Foss near Bedrina.

Description:

General features

Male unknown dorsal integument: striated; muscle attachments: smooth coxal field: Cx-1 + 2 with a broad, straight posterior margin and a medial subcuticular tip

I-L: I-L-5 elongated and rather slender, S-1 and -2 homoiomorphic, narrow setal interspace, with round tips; I-L-6 weakly curved, remarkably narrowed in the centre, and thickened at the claw furrow excretory pore: smooth; Vgl-1: fused to Vgl-2

palp: sexual dimorphism?

Females

Holotype, palp measurements from original description genital field: short, pregen rather small, Ac in obtuse triangular arrangement, Ac-3 enlarged, protruding over the posteriomedial margin palp: slender, P-2–4 with straight ventral margins, P-4 1: 1: 1, sword seta halfway between ventral hairs idiosoma L/W 830/470; glandularia 25

coxal field L 347; Cx-3 W 405; Cx-1 + 2 mL 153, IL 234, W 306

I-L-5 dL 202, vL 144, dL/vL 1.40, HA-HC 45, 47, 72, dL/HB 4.30

S-1 L 92, L/ W 11.5, S-2 L 85, L/ W 9.4, interspace 21, L S-1/2 1.08

I-L-6 L 161, HA-HC 30, 22, 29, dL/HB 7.32; L I-L-5/6 1.25

genital field L/W 189/184, Ac-1–3 L 48, 50, 55

gnathosoma –; chelicera –

Figures

Figure 78. A–C, Atractides magnipalpis, holotype ♀, NHMB. A, coxal field, mediocaudal edge of Cx-1 + 2; B, genital and postgenital field; C, I-L-5 and -6. D–F, Atractides barbarae, ♀ from Biesiadka (1978). D, ventral view; E, I-L-5 and -6; F, palp, medial view. G–I, Atractides gorcensis, ♂ from Biesiadka (1978). G, ventral view; H, palp, medial view, I I-L-5 and -6. Scale bars = 100 µm.