Porrhotegaeus J. Balogh & Mahunka, 1966

Colloff, Matthew J., 2023, The oribatid mite superfamily Eutegaeoidea (Acari, Oribatida), with descriptions of new taxa from Australia and New Caledonia and a re-assessment of genera and families, Zootaxa 5365 (1), pp. 1-93 : 71-72

Porrhotegaeus J. Balogh & Mahunka, 1966

Porrhotegaeus J. Balogh & Mahunka, 1966, p. 557 .

Type species: Porrhotegaeus ornatus J. Balogh & Mahunka, 1966

Diagnosis. The following diagnosis is modified from that of Luxton (1988a): large oribatid mites (>950 μm long); rostrum rounded; lamellar cusps one-fifth length of lamellae, widely separated from each other, with an apical tooth or pair of teeth, lacking a translamella; lamellar setae emerging from ventral surfaces of lamellar cusps. Interlamellar setae absent; posterior margin of prodorsum lacking enantiophyses H, though anterior condyles of enantiophyses B present in P. ornatus . Bothridia long, curved; bothridial setae long, setiform or bacilliform, smooth. Humeral processes reflexed ventrally, with fine striae, originating from lateral regions of notogaster at same level as posterior margin of genital plates, extending beyond bothridia but not as far as bases of lamellar cusps. With nine pairs of notogastral setae (complete l, h and p series), eight in P. herminae , originating marginally and directed vertically. Central part of notogaster concave, flat or with slight medial mound, notogastral margin forming upturned lip giving entire notogaster concave appearance. Chelicerae chelate-dentate, not thin or modified. Pedotectum II well-developed, broad, pointed or nearly square. With six pairs of genital setae, three pairs of adanal setae; with or without enantiophyses E4 and perigenital carinae. Adanal fissurae (iad) some distance from anal plates.

Remarks. J. Balogh and Mahunka (1966) mentioned the presence of nine pairs of notogastral setae in the marginal position. There is a full complement of setae in the h, l and p series except in P. herminae which has only eight pairs, though nine may well be present. Two important character states of Porrhotegaeus that were overlooked in the definitions by J. Balogh and Mahunka (1966) and Luxton (1988a) are that the central part of the notogaster is generally flat or concave (saucer shaped), with the margins forming a distinct elevated rim and the lamellar setae arise from the ventral surfaces of the lamellae, a character state shared with Dudichella .