Halacarus subtilis Viets, 1940

Durucan, Furkan, Paz, Juan Carlos De La & Hernández-Teixidor, David, 2023, Halacaridae (Acari) from Tenerife (Canary Islands), Persian Journal of Acarology 12 (1), pp. 1-19 : 13-15

Halacarus subtilis Viets, 1940

Material examined One female (FDHAL-21/13), La Barranquera ( Gelidium pusillum , upper mid-littoral zone).

Diagnosis

The idiosoma length of the only female specimen was 395 µm long and it was 230 µm wide. Epicuticula on plates, gnathosoma and legs with striae in parallel and fingerprint-like arrangement. Pair of first dorsal setae (ds-1) posterior to first gland pore. OC with cornea, pair of gland pores 2 on OC and gland pore 4 striated integument, gland pore 5 on posterior dorsal plate. PD with reticulate ornamentation. Tarsi III and IV each with four ventral setae. All paired claws with accessory processes ( Figs. 3I , 6C–E , 10A–D).

Figure 10. A–C. Halacarus subtilis Viets, 1940 (female) – A. Dorsal view of idiosoma; B. Ventral view of idiosoma; C. Medial view of leg I, D. Halacaropsis hirsuta (Trouessart, 1889) , detailed male genitoanal plate; (Scale bars: A–C: 50 µm, D: 100 µm).

Remarks

Halacarus subtilis was originally described by Viets (1940) from the Mediterranean Sea ( Croatia, Rovinj and Split). This is the first report in the Atlantic Ocean. The morphological characteristics of the specimen from Tenerife matches description by Viets (1940) and Bartsch (2007).

Figures

Figure 3. Light-microscope images of halacarid species from Tenerife – A. Agaue adriatica (female); B. Agauopsis brevipalpus (female); C. Agauopsis microhyncha (male); D. Agauopsis tricuspis (male); E. Copidognathus lamelloides (male); F. Copidognathus magnipalpus (male); G. Copidognathus remipes (male); H. Halacarus actenos (male); I. Halacarus subtilis (female) (Scale bars: 100 µm).

Figure 6. Light-microscope images of halacarid species from Tenerife – A. Medial view of leg I (Halacaropsis hirsuta- male), B. genital opening (H. hirsuta- male); C–E. Halacarus subtilis, anterior dorsal plate (C), ocular plate (D), posterior dorsal plate (E).