Scaptognathides Monniot, 1972

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 : 229

Scaptognathides Monniot, 1972

(Figs 69 and 70)

Type species. Scaptognathides planus Monniot, 1972 .

Adults. In both female and male genital and anal plates fused. Female GA with two pairs of pgs, and one to zero sgs on each genital sclerite. Two pairs of partly fused internal gac in posterior to middle part of GO (Fig. 69; Bartsch 2003d: fig. 7I). Ovipositor at rest short, not extending beyond anterior margin of GO; when everted five pairs of lamellar, weakly sclerotized genital spines recognizable ( Bartsch 2003d: fig. 7D). Male GO smaller than female GO and distinctly removed from AP. GA with up to 16 pairs of slender pgs, one pair of setae in anterior half of GA, the others lateral and posterior to GO, arranged around a genital groove. Each genital sclerite with three short, setiform sgs. Genital acetabula in posterior part of GO, one ( Monniot 1972: fig. 2A), generally two pairs present. AE of adults and juveniles with pair of epimeral tubes on AE (Fig. 70).

Juveniles. Deutonymph, protonymph and larva known. Deutonymph with GP and AP either fused ( Bartsch 1977b: fig. 365) or separated (Abé 2011: fig. 1H). Area representing GP with two pairs of small internal gac, two pairs of pgs but zero sgs. GP and AP of protonymph fused; protonymphal GA with one pair of gac ( Bartsch 1991c: fig. 1H); pgs and sgs lacking.

Remarks. The presently eleven described species are psammobionts and live in warm-temperate and tropical sandy deposits. Records are from all oceans ( Bartsch 2009a; Abé 2011).