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 Protzia squamosa Walter, 1922 Protzia multipora (Walter, 1922) , nov. syn. Material examined: Austria , National Park Gesäuse (locality abbreviations from the NP database): SCHAF , Schröckengrabenquelle 1, 266.601 N 549.656 E ; 1217 m , 17.07.2007 (0/2/1); SHRÖK E, large springs upstr. Ebneralm-Furt, 266.626 N 549.240 E ; 1102 m , 19.07.2007 (0/1/1); SHRÖK H, spring line left affluent Klammbach 1, 266.689 N 549.285 E ; 1115 m , 19.07.2007 (0/1/0); URO, captured spring West Unteres Rohr, 274.053 N 547.837 E ; 698 m , 20.07.2007 (0/1/0). Germany , Baden-Württemberg, Schönbuch (TÜ), Western spring SE Teufelsbrücke, 23.02.2004 ( 15/12/11 ). Discussion: The two adult types of P. multipora (collected at two sites far distant from each other in Austria and Switzerland ) differ from typical P. squamosa only in having a rather large gnathosoma (L 230- 235) and a high number of Ac (33-34) (Gerecke 1996). In the material examined, most specimens agree in both characters with the variability range known for P. squamosa , but single, larger, specimens bridge the gap between this species and P. multipora , having a gnathosoma L> 200 and Ac numbers> 30. As such exceptional specimens may appear within P . squamosa populations, and all intermediate character states are found as well, there is no reason to consider them as representatives of a separate taxon. Protzia multipora is therefore here considered as a synonym of P. squamosa .