Hydryphantes (Polyhydryphantes) flexuosus (Koenike, 1885)

Sabatino, Antonio Di, Gerecke, Reinhard, Gledhill, Terence & Smit, Harry, 2009, On the taxonomy of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) described from the Palaearctic, part 2: Hydryphantoidea and Lebertioidea, Zootaxa 2266, pp. 1-34 : 15

Hydryphantes (Polyhydryphantes) flexuosus (Koenike, 1885)

Hydryphantes vastipalpis K.Viets, 1930 : Lundblad (1962)

Material examined: Hydryphantes vastipalpis holotype Ƥ SMF 4005, Spain; Spain, E 160, Murcia, R. Aguas, Las Oicas, 19.02.1999 leg. Moreno Alcaraz (2/3/0).

Discussion: A revision of the holotype of H. vastipalpis shows that the posterior right legs are misshapen (III-L-4 very thickened, III-L-6 reduced, distally narrowed and with distorted claws, IV-L-1-3 extremely inflated, IV-L-4-6 reduced stepwise in dimensions). Along with the fact that since the first description no further specimens with similarly enlarged palps have been found, these observations suggest that the general morphology of the specimen is caused by developmental disturbance. The synonymization proposal of Lundblad (1962) should be accepted: The specimen is a misshapen individual of H. flexuosus .

Interestingly, among specimens from the collecting site near Murcia, one female has the frontal shield nearly completely reduced, while from all other points of view it agrees with the other specimens of H. flexuosus . In the area of the collecting site, most inland waters are highly saline, and H. flexuosus is here the only, but very frequently found, species of the genus.