Atractides (s. str.) giustinii Gerecke & Di Sabatino, 2013

Gerecke, Reinhard, 2021, The water mites of the family Hygrobatidae (Acari, Hydrachnidia) in Italy, Zootaxa 5009 (1), pp. 1-85 : 24

Atractides (s. str.) giustinii Gerecke & Di Sabatino, 2013

(Figs 29 C-D; 31 G)

Previoulsy published records from Italy: Sardegna ( Gerecke 2014b)

Remarks: In the redescription of A. gracilipes, Gerecke (2014b) did not mention its similarity to A. giustinii . Common features are the excretory pore with ring-shaped sclerotization, fusion of Vgl-1+2, convex anterior margin of male genital plate, and a slightly enlarged I-L-5. In addition to a distinct difference in size – both sexes of A. giustinii are minor in nearly all measurements – the two species differ as follows ( A. gracilipes in parentheses): Atractides giustinii has relatively shorter palp segments P-3 and P-4 - relative L 24-25 (26), resp. 32-33 (38) %, P- 2/P-4 ratio> 0.6 (<0.6); a slenderer P-3, with L/H ♂♂> 1.8 (<1.8), ♀♀> 2.2 (<2.1), a stouter P-4, with L/H ♂♂ <3.2 (> 3.4), ♀♀ <4.0 (> 4.5). Clear differences are found also in proportions of the first leg: ventral margin I-L-5 relatively shortened, I-L-5 dL/vL ratio> 1.4 (<1.4); S-1/-2 distance ♂♂> 20 (15), ♀> 35 (25), both setae shorter; I-L- 6 in the centre not as strongly narrowed as in A. gracilipes .

Habitat: Rhithrobiont, crenophilous.

Distribution: Corsica, Sardinia.