Labidostomma Kramer, 1879

Dunlop, J. A. & Bertrand, M., 2011, Fossil Labidostomatid Mites (Prostigmata: Labidostommatidae) From Baltic Amber, Acarologia 51 (2), pp. 191-198 : 192

Genus Labidostomma Kramer, 1879

Remarks — Bertrand (1990) recognised four labidostommatid genera: the Holarctic Eunicolina Berlese, 1911 characterized by multiplication of pustules and Akrostomma Robaux, 1977 , with a dense reticulate cuticular pattern and characteristized by body shape and cheliceral morphology, the southern hemisphere Sellnickiella Feider and Vasiliu, 1969 - see also Bertrand (1997) - with loss of the gland-like organ, and the world-wide distributed Labidostomma . The latter was considered ’primitive’ because of the retention of the main (plesiomorphic) characters shared by other representatives of the family, e.g. a primitive famulus, eyes, a pair of gland-like organs, chelicerae not modified; although some species acquired specialized characters that are considered as adaptations (neotaxy of gland-like organs, eye reduction, development of genual of PI, neotrichy, etc). For further taxonomic accounts of modern Labidostomma see, e.g., Bertrand (1981), Bertrand and Theron (1990), Iavorschi (1992) or Bertrand and Corpuz Raros (1997).

Note on the family and genus nomenclature: Etymology of the generic name Labidostomma refers to both Latin and Greek with Labidos referring to the large chelicerae and Stoma , stomatos, mouth. Berlese, Oudemans, Grandjean, and others selected the orthography with a single ’m’ — which is etymologically correct — whereas other authors imposed an erroneous orthograph (see e.g. the large mandibles of Labidostomis Chevrolat, 1837 ( Insecta, Chrysomelidae )). Returning to the original generic description of Kramer (1879), we are forced to retain his initial orthographic mistake, i.e. Labidostomma , and treat Labidostommatidae (with a double ’m’) as the valid family name. Note that this does not apply to the more recently established higher taxon (cohort) Labidostomatides.