Madawaska Habeeb, 1954

Smith, Ian M., Cook, David R. & Gerecke, Reinhard, 2015, Revision of the status of some genus-level water mite taxa in the families Pionidae Thor, 1900, Aturidae Thor, 1900, and Nudomideopsidae Smith, 1990 (Acari: Hydrachnidiae), Zootaxa 3919 (1), pp. 111-156 : 117

Genus Madawaska Habeeb, 1954 stat. nov.

Forelia (Madawaska) : Cook, 1974a, pp. 287–288, figs. 1214–1218. Forelia (in part): Smith, 1976, pp. 28–29, 79, 81, 92, figs. 21, 22. Forelia (in part): Smith & Cook, 1991, pp. 554, 576, 578.

Forelia (in part): Smith et al., 2001, pp. 581, 612, 615.

Forelia (in part): Smith et al., 2010, pp. 524, 553, 556.

Diagnosis. Larva (modified from Smith 1976): Character states of the subfamily Foreliinae. Lateral coxal apodeme nearly transverse. Third coxal plate with medial coxal apodeme present and transverse muscle attachment scar very small or absent. Excretory pore plate much larger than excretory pore and roughly circular in shape with setae ps1 slightly anterior to setae ps2. Numbers of setae on leg segments as follows: IITi 11 (setae Ti12 and Ti13 present); IIITr 1; IIITi 11 (setae Ti12 and Ti13 present).

Adults (modified from Smith 1976): Character states of subfamily Foreliinae. Idiosoma with dorsal integument mostly soft and bearing only tiny platelets associated with glandularia and idiosomal setae. Venter with coxal plates and genital field incorporated into a ventral shield in males, but surrounded by soft integument bearing only tiny sclerites associated with glandularia and idiosomal setae in females. First coxal group with apodemes elongated. Fourth coxal plate with medial edge short but not reduced to angle in males, reduced to highly acute angle in females. Genital field with five to seven relatively large acetabula per side borne on tongue–shaped acetabular plates that surround gonopore in males and flank gonopore in females, and that extend laterally to but not beyond posterolateral angles of fourth coxal plates. Pedipalp segments relatively short and stocky, with tibia bearing two slender setae on a small projection ventrally and a sessile, peg-like seta distomedially. Male third leg with tarsus bearing reduced claw sockets that are terminal in position and small but only slightly modified claws; fourth leg with genu short, slightly expanded, and bearing patches of thick, blade-like setae both at the base of and on a prominent distoventral projection, tibia relatively long and slender, tarsus curved dorsally, bearing a patch of thick, peg-like setae only in region proximal to deepest part of curved portion, and bearing thick, highly modified claws.

Type species. Madawaska borealis Habeeb.

Species included. Madawaska borealis Habeeb (eastern North America) (monobasic).

Distribution. Eastern North America.

Discussion. Cook (1974a) treated Madawaska as a subgenus of Forelia . Smith (1976) recognized the borealis group as a distinct clade, but at that time questioned the merit of retaining Madawaska as a subgenus of the genus Forelia noting that the nominate subgenus was apparently not monophyletic and in need of further revision. Here we propose elevation of Madawaska to full generic rank based upon the apomorphic condition of the distal segments of the fourth leg in males and the unique configuration of the genital field in both sexes. Larvae of Madawaska borealis exhibit some suggestive apomorphic similarities to those of some, but not all, species of the genus Forelia ( Smith 1976) . The modifications to the distal segments of the fourth leg of males of M. borealis are more similar to those found in males of the genus Pionacercopsis (see below) than to those found in males of Forelia . Further resolution of the phylogenetic relationships between Madawaska and members of other foreliine genera may be possible when adults and larvae of additional species have been described.