Papillacarus spinosus Bischoff de Alzuet, 1972

Schatz, H. & Schuster, R., 2012, First Records Of Lohmanniidae (Acari: Oribatida) From The Bermuda Islands, Acarologia 52 (3), pp. 247-257 : 252-253

Papillacarus spinosus Bischoff de Alzuet, 1972

Bischoff de Alzuet 1972: 188, figs. 1-9; Balogh and Balogh 1987: 335, pl. 10 D; 1988: 54, pl. 34. Pillacarus spinosus (lapsus linguae): Balogh and Balogh 2002a: 65; 2002b: pl. 117:7-8.

Dimensions: adult (n=3) 535 (525-550) x 255 (250-260), deutonymph (n=2) 370-390 x 180-195 µm.

Colour light to medium brown in adult, yellowish white in deutonymph. Cuticula with a barely visible polygonale pattern, covered with small spines in both instars. Sensillus with 14- 16 branches in adult, 14 branches in deutonymph. Transverse bands hardly visible but present. Posterior concavity on notogaster weakly developed. Notogastral setae ciliate, measurements: c1 25 – 28, c2 35 – 40, c3 68 – 72 µm in adult, c1 20, c2 20, c3 36 µm in deutonymph. Eight pairs of neotrichal setae in adult and deutonymph. Posterior marginal setae of deutonymph curved with comparatively long cilia. Subcapitulum with 6 pairs of setae in adult, 5 pairs in deutonymph. Epimeral setal formula 8-4- 3- 4 in adult, 5-2-3- 3 in deutonymph. Row a and the lateral setae of epimere I smooth, others ciliate.

Remarks: The specimens found in Bermuda correspond to the original description ( Bischoff de Alzuet 1972) in most respects and are considered conspecific. A difference is the smaller body size of the adult specimens in Bermuda (614 x 305 µm in the specimen from Argentina).

Records from Bermuda: BE 26: 2 adults, 1 deutonymph. BE 119: 1 adult, 1 deutonymph .

General distribution: Argentina, Entre Rios ( Bischoff de Alzuet 1972), ecological conditions not mentioned; Mexico, Quintana Roo: Sian Ka’an, lowland inundation forest, in leaf litter and soil ( Vazquez 1999); first record for Bermuda.