Atractides (s. str.) walteri (K. Viets, 1925 )

Gerecke, Reinhard, 2021, The water mites of the family Hygrobatidae (Acari, Hydrachnidia) in Italy, Zootaxa 5009 (1), pp. 1-85 : 43

Atractides (s. str.) walteri (K. Viets, 1925)

(Figs 21 D; 26 E-F; 31 K)

Material examined: Calabria: I 1086, 1/1/0 slide; I 1087, 1/3/0 (1/1/0 slide); Trentino-Alto Adige: sa 102, 0/1/0; sa 115, 0/1/0; sa 118 a, 0/2/0; Valle d’Aosta: I TG 13-10, 2/0/0. 6 sites, 12 specimens .

Previously published records from Italy: Emilia-Romagna ( Gerecke & Di Sabatino 2013, Cantonati et al. 2020); Trentino Alto Adige ( Lundblad 1956, Crema et al. 1996, Gerecke et al. 2009, Gerecke & Di Sabatino 2013); Veneto ( Crema et al. 1996).

Remarks: While the specimens from I 1087 are typical, those from I 1086 show the leathery, non-papillate integument type of populations previously attributed to A. coriaceus (K. Viets, 1925) . Molecular data do not support a separation of the two species (Blattner, pers. comm.).

Habitat: Crenobiont. Springs of various type. In southern Italy only in two springs in beech forest at high elevation, 1700-1800 m .

Distribution: Central-South Europe. In the Pollino mountains obviously a relictary element of springs at the highest elevations – no records from other South Italian mountain ranges, neither in Calabria / Basilicata, nor in the intensively studied Sicilian mountains.

Subgenus Polymegapus K. Viets, 1926