Aturus Kramer, 1875

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 : 131-132

Genus Aturus Kramer, 1875

Aturus: Cook, 1974a , pp. 358–359, figs. 1558, 1559, 1561–1564. Aturus: Cook, 1980 , pp. 292–293, figs. 1508, 1511–1516. Aturus: Smith, 1984 , p. 321, figs. 63–72.

Aturus: K.O. Viets, 1987 , pp. 164–177.

Aturinae: Smith & Cook, 1991, pp. 553, 577, figs. 16.133, 16.136, 16.268. Aturus: Smith et al., 2001 , pp. 580, 613, figs. 168–170, 377. Aturus: Smith et al., 2010 , pp. 523, 554, figs. 15 168–15.170, 15.378. Aturus: Gerecke, 2014b , pp. 1–22, figs. 1–15.

Diagnosis. Larva (modified from Smith 1984): Character states of subfamily Aturinae (only genus with known larvae).

Adults (modified from Cook 1974a): Idiosoma elliptical in shape in males, elongate elliptical in shape in females. Idiosomal sclerites with surfaces smooth or finely reticulate. Dorsal and ventral shields separate from one another or fused posteriorly in males, separate from one another in females. Dorsal shield bearing four pairs of glandularia; lacking or bearing one or more pairs of well-defined longitudinal ridges in males, lacking ridges in females; posterior region of shield variously modified and bearing modified setae in males, unmodified in females. Dorsal furrow bearing four pairs of glandularia, one pair of setae, and three or four pairs of lyrifissures arranged on four pairs of platelets. Fourth coxal plate lacking coxoglandularium II and lacking small projection associated with opening for insertion of fourth leg. Ventral shield bearing two pairs of glandularia posteriorly. Genital field terminal and bearing ten to many pairs of acetabula; excretory pore incorporated into dorsal shield; acetabular plates fused with ventral shield with suture lines obliterated. Third leg of males distal segments bearing or lacking modified setae. Fourth leg of males with distal segments moderately to highly modified and bearing highly modified setae. Pedipalp with tibia moderately long and slender, typically lacking a ventral projection and bearing two or three sessile, slender setae distoventrally.

Type species. Aturus scaber Kramer.

Species included. Many species listed by K.O. Viets (1987).

Distribution. Holarctic (Eurasia, North America), Africa, India, Southeast Asia, South America.

Discussion. Cook (1974a) considered Aturus to be a distinct genus. This treatment was followed by Smith & Cook (1991), Smith et al. (2001, 2010), and Gerecke (2014b) and is followed by us here.