The water mite Rutripalpus limicola Sokolow, 1934: new data on morphology and biology, and considerations on the systematic position of the monotypic family Rutripalpidae (Acari, Hydrachnidia) Author Gerecke, Reinhard Author Tuzovskij, Petr text Journal of Natural History 2001 2010-12-03 35 6 931 944 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00222930152123657 journal article 10.1080/00222930152123657 1464-5262 5277107 Rutripalpus limicola Sokolow, 1934 ( Figures 1 ±35) Material examined Germany , Baden-WuÈrttemberg ( KN ), Radolfzell , Mindelsee , Helocrene SE border, 410 m , 1 June 1988 , Schwoerbel , one deutonymph; 19 May 1992 , Goldschmidt, one male , two females ; 23 September 1992 , Goldschmidt, one deutonymph; 30 September 1992 , Godlschmidt, one male . FIGS 12±15. Rutripalpus limicola male, genital ®eld. (12) Ventral view; (13, 14) lateral view, semischematic Ð(13) retracted, (14) protracted; (15) genital skeleton, posterolateral view. Bars 5 100 m m (12±14), 50 m m (15). FIGS 16±17. Rutripalpus limicola female, idiosoma. (16) Dorsal view; (17) ventral view. Bar 5 100 m m. FIGS 18±21. Rutripalpus limicola female. (18) Genital ventral view; (19) pedipalp lateral view; (20) P-5 anterior view; (21) chelicera. Bar 5 100 m m. FIGS 22±24. Rutripalpus limicola deutonymph. (22) Idiosoma, ventral view; (23) pedipalp, lateral view; (24) genital ®eld. Bars 5 50 m m. FIGS 25±29. Rutripalpus limicola larva. (25) Idiosoma, ventral view; (26) idiosoma, dorsal view; (27) lateral eyes; (28) urstigma; (29) excretory plate. Bars 5 100 m m (25, 26), 50 m m (27±29). Yugoslavia, Montenegro ( IG ), Murino , Mokra Planina , helocrene near Velika, W C Ïakor pass, 42ss48¾N, 17ss37¾E, 1400 m , 6 June 1990 , Gerecke, one male , numerous larvae attached to larva of Ptychoptera . Description Male ( W gures 1±15). Idiosoma (dorsal view: ®gure 1) L 670±750 m m, W 550 m m, integument covered by a net of ®ne lines formed by the narrow interspaces between ¯at, pillow-shaped papillae; in the specimen from Yugoslavia , dorsolateralia well developed and second pair of dorsocentralia fused medially, forming an H-shaped medial sclerite (L 198 m m, W 130 m m), in the specimens from Germany all dorsocentralia unfused and dorsolateralia nearly invisible; coxae (®gure 2) with a low number of setae, strong and long marginally, but ®ne and shorter on the coxal surface, posteromedial part of Cx-11 2 covered by a pouch of membranous integument; shape and setation of legs: ®gures 3±8; measurements (segments 1±6): (A) specimen from Germany : I-L 67, 54, 76, 100, 100, 112, total 509 m m, II-L 72, 61, 76, 105, 123, 134, total 571 m m; III-L 65, 67, 78, 114, 156, 143, total 623 m m; IV-L 105, 78, 123, 161, 194, 168, total 829 m m; (B) specimen from Yugoslavia : I-L 81, 63, 81, 108, 112, 121, total 566 m m; II-L 81, 67, 85, 121, 135, 139, total 628 m m; III-L 81, 72, 85, 135, 166, 157, total 696 m m; IV-L 130, 90, 139, 175, 215, 198, total 947 m m; genital ®eld (®gures 12±14) with the second acetabulam the largest on the specimen from Montenegro , but the third one in specimens from Germany , genital skeleton (®gure 15) consisting of a small vesicle ¯anked by a pair of wing-like brachia distalia, and by well-developed anterior and posterior carinae, but completely lacking brachia proximalia and proximal horns; ventral margin of gnathosoma (®gure 11) forming a strong ventrodistal angle; chelicera measurements of specimen from Germany (specimen from Montenegro in parentheses): basal segment L 130 (150), H 69 (83), claw 31 (38) m m; pedipalp as given in ®gures 9 and 10; measurements (P-1±5, L / H): 36 / 72, 136 / 94, 52 / 67, 76 / 54, 67 / 29, total L 367 m m. FIGS 30±33. Rutripalpus limicola larva. (30) I-L; (31) II-L; (32) III-L; (33) empodium and claws. Bars 5 100 m m (30±32), 50 m m (33). FIGS 34, 35. Rutripalpus limicola larva. (34) Chelicera; (35) palp, lateral view. Bar5 50 m m. Female ( W gures 16±21). Idiosoma L 780±820, W 600±630 m m, integument, distribution of setae and sclerites as in males, but dorsalia relatively smaller (e.g. dorsocentralia 2 L 94, W 45 m m, ®gure 16), and dorsolateralia visible only as areas of slightly thickened integument; genital ®eld (®gures 17, 18) total L 220±225, W 125±130 m m, genital ¯aps L 140 m m, with undulate medial margin bearing nine setae; praegenital platelet hexagonal, postgenital platelet small, bean-shaped; gonopore long, extending far beyond the anterior edge of genital ¯aps (ratio genital ®eld L / genital ¯ap L 5 1.62±1.75); gnathosoma as in males, chelicera (®gure 21) basal segment L 145, H 69, claw L 34 m m; pedipalp (®gures 19, 20) with P-4 more slender than in males, and P-5 without lateral indentationÐclaws arranged on a continuous convex line; measurements (P-1±5, L / H): 34 / 72, 154 / 96, 61 / 72, 96 / 40, 78 / 22. Deutonymph (juvenile, W gures 22±24). Idiosoma L 315±430, W 270±340 m m. General morphology similar to adults, but with the following diOEerences: membranous integument ventrally with transverse lines at regular distances enlarged to longish papillae, dorsally, lineation disappearing in favour of densely arranged round papillae; dorsal sclerites visible only as muscle insertion areas with thickened integument (probably due to the juvenile age of the specimens studied, but well sclerotized in more mature deutonymphs); lower number of setae on coxae and appendages (®gures 22, 23), Cxgl-4 embraced by an indentation of the posteromedial margin of Cx-4; genital ®eld (®gure 22) L 40±45, W 61±66 m m, genital ¯aps bearing three to four setae each; in the centre, a rod-shaped, posteriorly enlarged unpaired sclerite; pedipalp measurements (P-1±5, L / W): 23 / 46, 87 / 60, 35 / 45, 60 / 24, 44 / 14 m m. Larva (unengorged, W gures 25±35). Idiosoma (ventral view ®gure 25, dorsal view ®gure 26) dorsal plate L 230±244, W 170±180 m m, with quadrangular-shape d reticulations anteriorly and rectangular reticulations posteriorly; setae Mh1-4 separate, but in shallow indentations of the dorsal shield, lateral eye lenses on two pairs of platelets (®gure 27); coxal plates with median L of Cx-1±3: 49, 31, 90 m m; urstigma: ®gure 28; excretory plate (®gure 29) trapezoidal, with convex posterior margin; leg morphology as given in ®gures 30±33, dorsal L of segments: I-L-1±5: 40, 26, 39, 49, 62 m m; II-L-1±5: 41, 31, 38, 58, 70 m m; III-L-1±5: 49, 31, 40, 62, 78 m m; leg claws slender, empodium three-tined (®gure 9); gnathosoma L 95 m m, chelicera (®gure 34) basal segment L 70, claw L 17, H 17 m m; pedipalp (lateral view ®gure 35) dorsal L of segments: P-1 10, P-2 40, P-3 35, P-4 12, P-5 22 m m.