Atelopsalis Trouessart, 1896

Bartsch, Ilse, 2015, The genital area of Halacaridae (Acari), life stages and development of morphological characters and implication on the classification, Zootaxa 3919 (2), pp. 201-259 : 212

Atelopsalis Trouessart, 1896

(Figs 23 and 24)

Type species. Atelopsalis tricuspis Trouessart, 1896 .

Adults. Both female and male with GP and AP fused; GO in both sexes almost equal in size and position. Female GA with three pairs of slender pgs, genital sclerites with one to two pairs of sgs. With two pairs of gac, these at least in some species enlarged, tube-like and situated either in anterior ( Pepato & Tiago 2004: fig. 1B) or posterior half of GO (Fig. 23). Ovipositor short, at rest not or hardly extending beyond GO. Genital spines delicate, spiniform, number not known. Male GA with four to five pairs of slender pgs, two or more arising from alveoli, and four pairs of minute sgs. Two pairs of partly fused acetabula in posterior part of GO ( Bartsch 2002: fig. 16). AE of females and males with pair of epimeral vesicles, each with inner transparent ovate area ( Bartsch 2002: fig. 18). These areas assumedly equivalents to epimeral pores.

Juveniles. In deuto- and protonymph GP separated from AP. GP of deutonymph with primordial genital foramen, rather than genital slit, including two pairs of acetabula; GP with two pairs of pgs; sgs lacking ( Bartsch 1985c: fig. 20). Protonymphal GP similarly with primordial genital foramen ( Pepato & Tiago 2004: fig. 2B), this with pair of gac (Fig. 24); pgs and sgs lacking. Larva, as adults and nymphs, with pair of large epimeral vesicles.

Remarks. The eight species at present known are spread in warm-temperate and tropical zones of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean ( Bartsch 2009a).