Torrenticolid water mites of Bhutan. Genera Torrenticola Piersig, 1896 and Neoatractides Lundblad, 1941 (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Torrenticolidae) Author PešićK, Vladimir University of Montenegro, Cetinjski put bb, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro. Author K, Harry Smit Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P. O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands. Author K, Mer Man Gurung text Acarologia 2022 2022-09-01 1941 3 821 860 journal article 2107-7207 Torrenticola cf. turkestanica ( Sokolow, 1926 ) Figures 6C , 9 Material examined — Bhutan , MG 1 Maidagang Chhu, 27.12761°N , 90.71560°E , 554 m asl, 20.x.2021 , 1♂ (dissected and slide mounted); MG 4 Takabi Chhu, 27.14782°N , 90.68833°E , 543 m asl, 26.x.2021 , 7♂ ( 1♂ dissected and slide mounted); MG 5 Dakpay Chhu, 27.14621°N , 90.69220°E , 539 m asl, 27.x.2021 , 5♂ , 4♀ ( 1♂ dissected and slide mounted); MG 5 Dakpay Chhu, 27.14621°N , 90.69220°E , 539 m asl, 1.v.2021 5♂ , 1♀ Description — General features – Idiosoma oval; dorsal shield with a colour pattern as illustrated in Figures 9 A-C; gnathosomal bay U-shaped, proximally pointed; Cxgl-4 subapical; posterior suture lines of Cx-IV medially starting from the genital field at a 45°angle to main idiosoma axis, distinctly extending posteriorly beyond posterior margin of genital field; excretory pore and Vgl-2 well away from the line of primary sclerotization, excretory pore on the level of Vgl-2; ejaculatory complex conventional, with well-developed anterior keel and distal and proximal arms ( Figure 9J ); gnathosoma with a curved ventral margin ( Figure 9L ); P-2 and P-3 with a subrectangular ventrodistal projection, P-2 ventral seta relatively long, P-4 stocky with a well-developed ventral tubercle ending in two tips separated by a concavity, bearing one longer and three shorter setae ( Figure 6C ). Male (measurements of one specimen from Maidagang Chhu; in parentheses measurements T ofcf.. turkestanica from Uttarakhand , India , from Pešić et al. 2019a ) – Idiosoma L 606 (656), W 463 (486); medial suture Cx-II+III L 81 (94); genital field L/W 147 (145)/113 (116); L P-2 (83), P-4 (88). Remarks — The examined specimens from Bhutan generally match the description T of. cf. turkestanica from Uttarakhand state of India ( Pešić et al. 2019a ). As mentioned by the latter authors, the assignment of populations from Uttarakhand to T. turkestanica , a species originally described from Tajikistan ( Sokolow 1926 ) is still provisional, based “mainly on the approved non-identity with alternative species” (Pesic et al. 2007), and should be “tested with the application of molecular techniques in case data are available from the type locality.” ( Pesic et al. 2019a: 1871 ). Therefore, the same conclusion applies also to populations from Bhutan . Figure 8 Torrenticola uttarkhandensis Pešić & Smit, 2019 , ♂ MG4 Takabi Chhu: A – frontal margin of idiosoma, dorsal view; B – dorsal shield; C – ventral shield; D – palp, medial view; E – palp, medial view; F – gnathosoma and chelicera. Scale bars = 100 μm. Figure 9 Photographs of selected structures of Torrenticola cf. turkestanica ( Sokolow, 1926 ) (A, B, E, G, I, J – ♂, C, F, H, K, L – ♀). A–C, Dorsal shield; E, F, frontal margin of idiosoma, dorsal view; G, H, idiosoma, ventral view; I, K, palp; J, Ejaculatory complex; L, gnathosoma and chelicera. A, I, J – MG1 Maidagang Chhu; B, G – MG4 Takabi Chhu; C, H, K, L – MG5 Dakpay Chhu; E, F – MG5 Dakpay Chhu. Specimens from Thailand , provisionally assigned by Pesic and Smit (2009) to T. turkestanica , were described recently as a separate species, i.e. T. rangareddyi Pešić & Smit, 2019, differing from the former species by an elongated gnathosomal rostrum and a shorter ventral seta on P-2 ( Pešić et al. 2019a ). Distribution — India ( Uttarakhand ; Pešić et al. 2019a ); Bhutan (this study).