Kunstidamaeus Miko

Miko, L., 2010, Taxonomy of European Damaeidae (Acari: Oribatida) III. Species of the Kunstidamaeus tenuipes (Michael, 1885) group, with a description of Kunstidamaeus fraterculus n. sp. from East Slovakia, Zootaxa 2327, pp. 51-64 : 51

[[ Genus Kunstidamaeus Miko , 2006 ]]

The recently proposed and defined genus Kunstidamaeus Miko , 2006 is characterised by the presence of typical set of 2 prodorsal tubercles (Ba, La), presence of propodolateral apophyse P developed usually as a tip or tubercle perpendicular to body, presence of well developed ventral tubercle Va and presence of usually strongly bent spinae adnatae (Miko, 2006; Miko & Mourek, 2008). Interlamellar setae in are much shorter than sensillus, tibial and genual setation formula is 4-4-3-3 (solenidia not included), solenidia of genua I-III are accompanied with companion seta d and ventral accessory seta Ny2' is absent on all tarsi. Genus comprises of several species, which have been grouped to three species groups (Miko & Mourek, 2008): “lengersdorfi” group with type species K. lengersdorfi (Willmann, 1932), K. nidicola (Willmann, 1936) and K. diversipilis (Willmann, 1951); “tecticola” group with K. tecticola (Michael, 1888) and K. longisetosus (Willmann, 1953); and finally “tenuipes” group with K. tenuipes (Michael, 1885), K. granulatus (Willmann, 1951) and K. nivalis (Kulczynski, 1902).

The aim of present paper is to provide modern redescriptions of the species of “tenuipes” group, which is characterised by somewhat shorter and usually slightly clavate sensillus covered often by dense spinuli or hairs. Species of this group - unlike in the rest of the genus - have often spinae adnatae shorter and only slightly bent or almost straight (only K.nivalis has spinae adnatae strongly bent, almost U-shaped). The species K. tenuipes and K. granulatus were studied on mounted material from Strenzke Collection in Frankfurt Senckenberg Museum, and Willmann´s material from Zoologische Staatsammlung in Munich. The rare and for long time not found classical species K. nivalis from Slovak Tatra Mountains is redescribed in more detail on the basis of recently collected individual ( Starý, 1996), and material collected by Frenzel from Willmann´s collection. Description of a new species, found during faunistic studies in East Slovakia, belonging to this group is given as well, together with discussion of potential relations to other known species.