Gamasellus Berlese

Castilho, Raphael C., Silva, Edmilson S., De, Gilberto J. & Halliday, Bruce, 2016, Catalogue of the family Ologamasidae Ryke (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 4197 (1), pp. 1-147 : 13

Gamasellus Berlese (70 described species)

Movable and fixed cheliceral digits with three (eleven in G. concinnus ) and 4–7 (sixteen in G. concinnus ) teeth, respectively. Epistome with an anteromedian extension wider at base, flanked or not by one to several anterolateral extensions, shorter than anteromedian extension. Seta h 3 about in longitudinal line with h 1 and posterior or slightly posterior and mediad to h 2. Idiosoma elongate or suboval, 270–900 µm long and 150–640 µm wide at widest level. Podonotal and opisthonotal shields separated. Dorsal idiosomal setae aciculate or spatulate and smooth or pilose. Podonotal region of dorsum with 18–23 pairs of setae, of which 18–23 pairs on podonotal shield and 0–3 pairs on soft integument along lateral margins of podonotal shield. Opisthonotal region with 13–25 pairs of setae, of which 13–25 pairs on opisthonotal shield and 0–5 pairs on soft integument along lateral margins of opisthonotal shield. Seta j 1 not on prominent protuberance, as long as or shorter than r 3 and Z 5. Opisthonotal and ventrianal shields separated (fused in G. uluguruensis ). With 2–3 pairs of presternal platelets. Sternal shield fused or not to endopodal shield near coxa IV (not fused in G. cophinus , G. leggetti and G. tasmanicus ); setae st 1– st 4 in longitudinal line, or st 4 laterad to imaginary line between st 1– st 3 or st 3 mediad to imaginary line between st 1, st 2 and st 4. Opisthogaster with 0–4 platelets between genital and ventrianal shields; with 5–8 pairs of setae on ventrianal shield and 0–3 pairs on soft integument around ventrianal shield; post-anal seta longer than or as long as para-anal seta (shorter in G. muscosus , G. plumatilis and G. uluguruensis ). Peritreme with straight or smoothly curved margins, extending anteriorly beyond coxa II (extending anteriorly to level of middle of coxa II in G. davydovae ). Peritrematal shield fused posteriorly to exopodal shield near coxa IV, with connection behind stigma wider than peritreme. Exopodal shields near coxae II–III–III fused or divided at median level of coxa III. Without distinct metapodal platelets (with a pair of elongate metapodal platelets in G. cophinus ). All legs with pretarsi. Genua I, III and IV and tibia IV with 13, 9, 10 and 10 setae, respectively.