Protoplophoridae Ewing, 1917

Niedbała, W., 2017, Ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Madagascar and neighbouring islands, Acarologia 57 (1), pp. 3-205 : 10

Protoplophoridae Ewing, 1917

Integument punctate, weakly pigmented, when threatened capable of rolling into a ball, in such a way that mouth organs, legs and genitoaggenital plates are covered (in Euptyctima the genitoaggenital region remains uncovered). Gnathosoma, genital plate and the legs are covered by prodorsum. "Notogaster" is divided in four shields: unpaired the largest dorsal, anterior – pronotaspis, unpaired dorsal, posterior – metanotaspis (pygidium), divided into three, four segments and two symmetric lateral – pleuraspis. 16 pairs of setae (only in Cryptoplophora 15 pairs): c 1, c 2, c 3, cp, d 1, d 2, e 1, e 2, f 1, f 2, h 1, h 2, h 3, ps 1, ps 2, ps 3. Very minuscule setae d 1 and d 2, hitherto found and illustrated only for pantropical species Aedoplophora glomerata (Grandjean 1954) , in the species of the genus Prototritia ( Bernini 1983) and in the species Hauseroplophora soniae Mahunka, 1977 (from Kenya). Supposedly present in the other species. Pygidium always shorter as pronotaspis divided by two sutures on three shields and mobile. The animal is able to fully draw it or withdraw it from under pronotaspis. 14 pairs of setae present. Genitoaggenital and anoadanal plates elongated, touching.