Scutoribates Sellnick, 1918

Sidorchuk, Ekaterina A. & Norton, Roy A., 2010, Redescription of the fossil oribatid mite Scutoribates perornatus, with implications for systematics of Unduloribatidae (Acari: Oribatida), Zootaxa 2666, pp. 45-67 : 62

Diagnosis of Scutoribates Sellnick, 1918

Three published diagnoses are available for this genus. That of Sellnick (1918) is least helpful, merely mentioning that Scutoribates looks like Scutovertex (Scutoverticidae) , but with pteromorphs. The diagnosis for Koreoribates ( Choi 1994) cites only five characters, three that are obviously uniform in the family (notogastral setae, lamellae, number of leg claws) and two that might distinguish the genus from Unduloribates (six pairs of genital setae, coxisternal setation of 3–1–3–1, the latter having been given as a doubtful formula). However, the current insufficiency of this diagnosis has been discussed by Pfingstl & Krisper (2010), as noted above. Kunstella was more completely diagnosed, by Krivolutsky (1974; more thoroughly in 1975), but as a genus of Oribatellidae . Below, we incorporate aspects of his diagnosis in a new diagnosis for Scutoribates that is structured to be complementary to that of Unduloribates by Behan-Pelletier & Walter (2009), except many of the characters they included are part of the family diagnosis and are omitted.

Scutoribates Sellnick, 1918 . Adults and nymphs (known only from tritonymph) with features of Unduloribatidae (see Norton & Behan-Pelletier 1986) and the following combination of character states. Adult. Notogastral integument foveolate, ventral integument irregularly foveo-reticulate. Cerotegument (not described for S. foliatus ) either deep, blocky on posterior region of notogaster and amorphous on remainder of body and legs, or thick, microtuberculate over whole body and legs. Coxisternal setation 3–1–2–3; 6 (rarely 7) pairs of genital setae. Rebordered anterior rim of subcapitular mentum extended posteriorly as medial carina, or not. Nymph. Prodorsal aspis with pair of rather flat, nearly straight, oblique lamella-like carinae connecting setae le and bothridia; cuticle in interlamellar region transversely plicate, without well-defined transverse carina.