Brachypodopsis Piersig, 1903

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 : 139

Genus Brachypodopsis Piersig, 1903 stat. nov.

Axonopsis (Brachypodopsis) : Cook, 1974a, pp. 333–334, figs. 1390–1400, 1406, 1411. Axonopsis (Brachypodopsis) : Cook, 1974b, pp. 56–57, 58–69, figs. 1–58, 60, 61, 63–71. Axonopsis: Smith, 1977 , pp. 954–957, figs. 1–9.

Axonopsis: Smith, 1984 , pp. 318–319, figs. 45–54.

Axonopsis (Brachypodopsis) : K.O. Viets, 1987, pp. 185–189.

Axonopsis (in part): Smith et al., 2001, figs. 165–167, 368.

Axonopsis (in part): Smith et al., 2010, figs. 15.165–15.167, 15.369.

Axonopsis (Brachypodopsis) : Smit & Pešić, 2010, pp. 179–183, figs. 21–23. Axonopsis (Brachypodopsis) : Pešić, Smit & Saboori, 2012, pp. 48, 50–52, figs. 36, 37.

Diagnosis. Larva (modified from Smith 1977b, 1984): Character states of Axonopsis -like mites (see above). Only genus in group with known larvae.

Adults (modified from Cook 1974a, 1974b): Character states of Axonopsis -like mites. Dorsal and ventral shields separate or incompletely fused anteriorly, lacking caudal development posteriorly. Dorsal furrow lacking glandularia. Dorsal shield bearing four to six pairs of glandularia none of which flank excretory pore. Ventral shield on each side with ridge originating at lateral end of suture line between third and fourth coxal plates extending anterolaterally to lateral edge of shield; anterior coxal plates relatively wide and lacking hook-like projections; fourth coxal plate usually bearing two pairs (rarely one pair) of glandularia in region between genital field and opening for insertion of fourth leg. Genital field bearing three or four pairs of acetabula. Suture lines between genital field and ventral shield obliterated. Gnathosoma with mouth opening subterminal in position; gnathosomal apodemes moderately long. Pedipalp tibia relatively long and slender, usually bearing a long, thick seta on a prominent projection and a sessile slender seta ventrally; tarsus shorter than tibia. Fourth leg with segments not flattened and telofemur not reduced in size.

Type species. Brachypodopsis gracilis Piersig.

Species included. See below under subgenera.

Distribution. Holarctic, and southward as far as Argentina in the New World and the Arabian Peninsula and Indonesia in the Old World.

Discussion. Cook (1974a, 1974b), treated Brachypodopsis as a subgenus of Axonopsis , and Smith (1977, 1984), Smith & Cook (1991), Smith et al. (2001, 2010), Smit & Pešić (2010), and Pešić et al. (2012) followed that treatment. Here we propose elevation of this taxon to full generic rank based on the unique combination of character states listed above. We also propose that the taxa Kalobrachypoda Viets, 1929 and Navinaxonopsis Cook, 1967 , previously regarded as subgenera of Axonopsis , should be considered as subgenera of Brachypodopsis .