Pelethiphis, Berlese, 1911

Mašán, Peter & Halliday, Bruce, 2010, Review of the European genera of Eviphididae (Acari: Mesostigmata) and the species occurring in Slovakia 2585, Zootaxa 2585, pp. 1-122 : 69

Key to European species of the genus Pelethiphis (adults)

1. Soft opisthosomal integument hypertrichous, with 30–35 pairs of setae; most dorsal shield setae including medial setae strongly elongate and subequal in length; large species, length of idiosoma about 950 µm [ Italy] ...................... ..................................................................................................................... Pelethiphis insignis ( Berlese 1911) (p. 70)

- Soft opisthosomal integument with normal set of 9–10 pairs of setae ( Fig. 132); only marginal dorsal shield setae strongly elongate, conspicuously longer than medial setae ( Fig. 131); smaller species with idiosoma under 700 µm in length............................................................................................................................................................................. 2

2. Marginal region of dorsal shield with 12 pairs of strongly elongated setae; anal shield expanded laterally, suboval, wider than long; length of idiosoma 560–680 µm [ Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia]............................................................ ............................................................................................................... Pelethiphis opacus Koyumdjieva 1981 (p. 70)

- Marginal region of dorsal shield with 13 pairs of strongly elongated setae; anal shield narrow, subtriangular, longer than wide; length of idiosoma about 400 µm [ Italy] .................................. Pelethiphis crinitus ( Berlese 1882a) (p. 69)