Studies on European species of the water mite family Aturidae Thor (Acari: Hydrachnidia)
Author
Gerecke, Reinhard
text
Zootaxa
2014
3841
1
1
46
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3841.1.1
07cca84d-e413-47d9-9ea5-5d24be4dce1b
1175-5326
286746
5FAADB3D-2359-453F-8BF5-1C2A33C6D178
Aturus barbatulus
K. Viets,
1936
Fig.
4
Material examined.
Italy
: Calabria, I
105
(
1
/
1
/0); Sicily,
I
45
(
1
/
11
/
5
), I
187
(
1
/0/0), I
237
(
1
/0/0), I
330
(
1
/0/0), I
497
(
1
/
2
/0), I
502
(
3
/
5
/
1
), I
503
(
1
/
2
/0), I
517
(
1
/
1
/0), I
667
(
1
/0/0).
Uncertain records.
Italy
: Calabria, I
103
(0/
1
/0); Sardinia, I
369
(0/
2
/0), I
376
(0/
1
/0); Sicily, I dp
65
(0/
1
/0), I
167
(0/
1
/0), I
221
(0/
2
/0), I
468
Int (0/
1
/0), I
501
(0/
1
/0), I
576
Int (0/
1
/0).
Remarks.
Females found together with male
A. barbatulus
are characteristic in the combination of (
1
) a Dgl-
3–4
/Dgl-
4–5
distance ratio of about
2.5–2.8
; (
2
) location of Vgl on the border between primary and secondary sclerotization, (
3
)
6–8
(rarely up to
10
) acetabula mostly in a single, but irregular line, some of them strongly bi- or trilobate in outline, and (
4
) a weak sclerotization in the gonopore area projecting in a pair of little distinct posterolateral angles at both sides of gonopore.
Habitat.
Preferably in low order streams and shaded spring habitats, in Central Sicily also under semiarid conditions (
Gerecke
1991
a
). Site
I
45
, in
1985
an oasis-like isolated hygropetric rheocrene in a forest remnant on Mt. Etna, is meanwhile destroyed.