Hygrobates (s. str.) longipalpis (Hermann, 1804)

Gerecke, Reinhard, 2021, The water mites of the family Hygrobatidae (Acari, Hydrachnidia) in Italy, Zootaxa 5009 (1), pp. 1-85 : 47-48

Hygrobates (s. str.) longipalpis (Hermann, 1804)

(Figs 23 H; 24 E-G)

Material examined: Friuli-Venezia Giulia: I 862, 0/1/0; I 1311, 3/2/0; I 1329, 4/17/0; I 1336, 1/5/0; I 1345, 0/1/0; I 1595, 1/0/0; I 1597, 0/1/0; I 1599, 0/2/0; I 1601, 0/1/0; I 1609, 6/1/2; Lazio : I 1527, 3/3/0; Sardegna: I 1151, 1/0/0; I 1163, 3/1/1; I 1165, 0/0/5; I 1175, 0/0/1; I 1384, 1/2/0; I 1386, 0/0/2; I TG 17-02, 0/1/0. 18 sites, 71 specimens .

Previously published records from Italy: Abruzzo ( Cicolani & Sisino 1983, Cicolani & Di Sabatino 1988, Cicolani et al. 1992, 1995, Di Sabatino & Cicolani 2001); Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Stammer 1932, Di Sabatino et al. 2000); Lazio ( Stella 1956, Stella et al. 1972); Lombardia ( Maglio 1903, 1924, Nocentini 1963); Marche ( Maglio 1956); Molise ( Cicolani et al. 1995); Piemonte (Monti 1903, Ramazzotti 1947, Nocentini 1960, 1963); Sardegna, Sicilia (Gerecke 1991); Trentino-Alto Adige ( Largaiolli 1900), Umbria ( Moretti 1949); Veneto ( Garbini 1891, Cicolani 1984, Gerecke & Di Sabatino 2013).

Remarks: All populations in this study agree with the new definition given for the species by Pešić et al. (2019), based on the setation of the hind leg (IV-L-6 with long proximomedial seta). Thus, at the time being, the recently re-established H. prosiliens Koenike, 1916 (with the seta in question short) is a species restricted to Central and Northern Europe. However, as most specimens from the study area are characteristic in having also the distomedial seta of this segment long, populations from the area treated merit to be checked concerning further morphological features, and with additional methods. Hygobates paucidentis Walter, 1926 , described from Morocco and considered a species incerta (Gerecke 1991), should be re-examinated as well.

Habitat: Pools of higher order streams, rheocrenes, standing waters.

Distribution: Holarctic.