Monatractides lusitanicus (Lundblad, 1941)

Asadi, Mahdieh, Pešić, Vladimir & Etemadi, Isa, 2010, A revised survey of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Iran: new synonyms and descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 2628, pp. 43-55 : 45-46

Monatractides lusitanicus (Lundblad, 1941)

Monatractides sepasi Bader, 1988 , n. syn.

Material examined. NHMB 209, Torrenticola sepasi , Holotype Ƥ, Iran-Chalus, 27.5.1975 J-Ba 16.

Remarks. In the original description Bader (1988) compared Monatractides sepasi only with M. stadleri (Walter, 1924) . The absence of knob-shaped protrusions at the margin of the gnathosomal bay can be recognized in the holotype, clearly separating these two species. The following details and measurements of the re-examined holotype were observed: Female: ventral shield L/W 812/650, Cx-I L 253, median L 119, Cx-II+III median L 40, genital field L/W 166/159; distance genital field – excretory pore 194, distance genital field – caudal idiosoma margin 344. These measurements are in close agreement with those given by Bader in the original description. The length of the median suture Cx-II+III is 40 (Bader mentioned that the median suture Cx/II+III is not measurable, probably because he measured the ‘netto’ distance between the posteriormost unification point of the suture lines Cx-I+II and the anteriormost margin of the sclerification surrounding the genital field).

In view of its small dimensions, a rather short medial suture line of Cx-II+III in the males, a relatively long P-1 (16.0–17.2 % of total length, data taken from the original description), distal margins of P-2 and P-3 without denticles, and absence of an elongated ventral seta on P-4, the specimen shows a general conformity with Monatractides lusitanicus (Lundblad, 1941) , a species described from the Iberian peninsula, and later reported from Italy, Balkan, Turkey and Iran (Pešić 2004). The measurements given in the original description lie within the variability range of Monatractides lusitanicus (see Di Sabatino et al. 1992). Thus, M. sepasi should be considered a junior synonym of M. lusitanicus .

It is possible that M. lusitanicus represents a complex of very similar species. Di Sabatino et al. (2003) described Monatractides fridericianus Di Sabatino & Gerecke, 2003 from N Greece might be a product of a local radiation of lusitanicus -like Monatractides . The arising question of genetic isolation and the taxonomic position of Iranian lusitanicus -like Monatractides can be addressed only by the application of molecular methods.

Iranian records. Mazandaran Province (Chalus)—“ Torrenticola (Monatractides) sepasi ” Bader (1988) ; Lorestan Province—Pešić (2004).

Distribution. Mediterranean, Turkey, Iran.