Tectodamaeus Aoki

Xie, Lixia & Yang, Maofa, 2010, Notes on the subgenus Tectodamaeus (Acari: Oribatida: Damaeidae), with the description of a new species from China, Zootaxa 2727, pp. 56-62 : 57

Subgenus Tectodamaeus Aoki

Tectodamaeus Aoki, 1984: 110 –111; Enami & Aoki, 1988: 33 –36; Xie & Yang 2009: 73 –82. Damaeus (Tectodamaeus) , nov. stat. by Wang & Cui, 1994:63.

Type species: Tectodamaeus armatus Aoki, 1984 .

Distribution. Palaearctic and Oriental Regions.

Diagnosis. Large, dark-colored mites with long legs. Propodolateral apophysis (P) always present. Three pairs of tubercles (Da, Ba and Bp) on prodorsum and 4 pairs of tubercles (E2a, E2p, Va and Vp) on ventral side well developed. Epimeral setation: 3–1–3–4. Leg IV always longer than total body length. Genu IV bearing only 2 setae. Setae d of genu present on legs I–III. Solenidion of tibia has no protecting seta d on legs I–IV.

Remarks. Damaeus (Tectodamaeus) and Damaeus (Damaeus) are both large mites with leg IV always longer than their body length, and no protecting seta on the tibia of each leg. Initially, we considered the distinct difference of two setae on genu IV remarkable, and suggestive of genus level-status for Tectodamaeus , but reductions also occur within Damaeus on other genua (I–III). Therefore, we follow Wang and Cui (1984) by regarding Tectodamaeus as a subgenus of Damaeus . Consequently, we transfer two species, Tectodamaeus daliensis Xie & Yang, 2009 and Tectodamaeus longus Xie & Yang, 2009 to Damaeus , i.e., Damaeus daliensis comb. nov. and Damaeus longus comb. nov. Prior to this work, nine valid species belonged to the subgenus Tectodamaeus : D. (T.) armatus , D. (T.) exspinosus , D. (T.) wulongensis , D. (T.) spiniger , D. (T.) brevisetus , D. (T.) yaoi , D. (T.) exsertus , D. (T.) furcatus , D. (T.) cuii . ( Aoki 1984; Wang & Norton 1989; Wang et al. 1992; Wang & Cui 1994; Lu & Wang 1995).