Panisus michaeli (Koenike, 1896)

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 : 6

Panisus michaeli (Koenike, 1896)

Panisus sarasini Bader, 1981 , nov. syn.

Material examined: Switzerland, NP Graubünden, Il Fuorn, 12.09.1957 coll. Bader (0/7/0); Germany, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Bombecker Aa coll. Beyer, (3/9/0); D 447 Bayern (TÖL) Schäftlarn, springs in riparian forest left to River Isar, 550 m, 15.05.1993 coll. Gerecke (0/9/0).

Panisus sarasini , holotype 3 NHMB.

Uncertain attribution (see below): Italy, I-1123 Basilicata (PZ) Pollino. Rotonda, spring E rifugio Pedarreto, 1450 m, UTM coord. WE 943 192, 10.10.1990 coll. Gerecke (37/22/0).

Discussion: Bader (1981) proposed the separation of the new species P. sarasini on the basis of measurements and setation of the IV-L (in contrast to P. m i c h a e l i IV-L-4 longer,> 300, and without medial setae on IV-L-5). Both characters are highly variable in populations of P. michaeli , also in material from the type locality of P. sarasini . In fact, rather large specimens of this species can be found occasionally together with rather small ones, but with all intermediate size classes as well. Leg setation is quite variable, and right and left legs of a single specimen may differ in the way described by Bader for P. michaeli resp. P. sarasini . Consequently, the latter is a junior synonym of P. michaeli .

Specimens from S Italy recorded by Gerecke (1996) as P. m i c h a e l i are different in the frontal shield being longer than wide and the presence of a ring of enlarged pores on muscle attachment sclerites. The latter character, however, is not expressed as distinctly as in P. torrenticolus , and was found in the same form in some specimens from the Swiss National Park.