Pterozetes Hammer, 1966

Colloff, Matthew J., 2023, The oribatid mite superfamily Eutegaeoidea (Acari, Oribatida), with descriptions of new taxa from Australia and New Caledonia and a re-assessment of genera and families, Zootaxa 5365 (1), pp. 1-93 : 69

Pterozetes Hammer, 1966

Type species: Pterozetes novazealandicus Hammer, 1966, p. 78 .

Diagnosis. The following diagnosis is based on those of Hammer (1966) and Luxton (1988a). Small to large oribatid mites (330–950 μm long). Lamellae fused with each other anteriorly in midline, with curved, concave anterior lamellar margin with short lateral spine-like cusps, reticulate microsculpture and short, smooth lamellar setae; lateral margins of lamellae slightly convex, almost parallel; median margins parallel. Tutorium prominent, broad, extending beyond lateral margin of lamella. Bothridia fused with lamellae; bothridial seta long, thin, smooth, pointed. Humeral process long, very broad at level of dorsosejugal scissure, pointed apically, extending from lateral margin of notogaster at widest part to level of tutorium, with extensive microsculpture of striations and reticulations, lacking posterior lateral lobes. Notogaster U-shaped, with nine pairs of short setae positioned marginally. Pedotectum I large, sub-rectangular; pedotectum II rectangular; discidium lobe-shaped or sub-rectangular. Circumpedal carina present. With five or six pairs of genital setae aligned longitudinally; three pairs of adanal setae. Anal plates lozenge-shaped.

Remarks. Details of the taxonomic status of Pterozetes are given in the remarks section on Pterozetidae above. The genus contains two species, P. novazealandicus from New Zealand and P. lawrencei sp. nov. from Australia.