On the taxonomy of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) described from the Palaearctic, part 2: Hydryphantoidea and Lebertioidea
Author
Sabatino, Antonio Di
Author
Gerecke, Reinhard
Author
Gledhill, Terence
Author
Smit, Harry
text
Zootaxa
2009
2266
1
34
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.190843
cb229040-f235-462d-b23b-55e3870709a9
1175-5326
190843
Monatractides madritensis
(
K. Viets, 1930
)
Torrenticola bicincta
Láska 1933
, nov. syn.
Torrenticola parvipalpis
Halbert, 1944
, nov. syn.
Torrenticola robusta
Halbert, 1944
, nov. syn.
Torrenticola (Monatractides) hibernica
Conroy, 1984
, nov. syn.
Material examined:
Torrenticola robusta
,
Holotype
"Ƥ ", Museum Dublin,
Ireland
.
Discussion:
Halbert (1944)
described
T. parvipalpis
and
T. robusta
from material collected in the River Flesk and River Clydagh (
Ireland
). The
holotype
male of
T. parvipalpis
is lost, the male of
T. robusta
still unknown. Successively,
K.O. Viets (1958)
synonymized both species with
M. madritensis
, but
Gledhill & K.O. Viets (1976)
considered both as
species incertae
, while
K.O. Viets (1978)
reported
T. robusta
as an uncertain species, but
T. parvipalpis
as a possible synonym of
M. madritensis
. Finally,
Conroy (1984)
described
T. (Monatractides) hibernica
as a new species being close to
M. madritensis
and
M. bicincta
Láska
(see below). He also concluded that
T. parvipalpis
should be a junior synonym of
T. robusta
which in turn was quite different from both
M. madritensis
and
T. hibernica
. As can be deduced from dimensional values and idiosoma morphology in the original description of
T. hibernica
, Conroy
was confused by erroneously establishing a female as the male
holotype
. Since then, this species has not attracted any more attention and was overlooked in the world water mite catalogue of
K.O. Viets (1987)
.
In view of the unique character combination (shape and dimensions of genital field, medial length of suture line of Cx-II+III; palp morphology and length of ventral seta on P-4) shared by all of them, we consider
T. parvipalpis
,
T. robusta
and
T. hibernica
junior synonyms of
M. madritensis
.
For
T. bicincta
Láska 1953
, the presence of a ring of small sclerotized platelets between the dorsal and ventral shield was defined as the only diagnostic feature. Such platelets are probably present in all species of the family, more or less well visible depending on age and sclerotization and present also in
M. madritensis
. As no further differences can be found, we consider
T. bicincta
a junior synonym of
M. madritensis
.