Aspidiobates, Lundblad, 1941

Smit, Harry, 2019, The water mite genus Aspidiobates Lundblad, 1941 from Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Hygrobatidae) with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 4550 (1), pp. 115-122 : 121

Key to the Australian Aspidiobates species

1 Gonopore narrow................................................................................ Males 2

- Gonopore wide............................................................................... Females 11

2 Genital field with four pairs of acetabula................................................................... 3

- Genital field with three pairs of acetabula.................................................................. 6

3 Dorsum two pairs of posterolateral platelets........................................................... A. aethes

- Dorsum with one pair of posterolateral platelets............................................................. 4

4 P2 with a very large, rounded extension................................................. A. neogeometricus n. sp.

- P2 with a much smaller rounded extension.................................................................. 5

5 Genital field not flanked closely by a pair of glandularia, P2 with large anteroventral extension and dorsally with six stout setae.......................................................................................... A. wittenoom

- Genital field flanked closely by a pair of glandularia, P2 with a short anteroventral extension and dorsally with three setae....................................................................................... A. imperfectus n. sp.

6(2) Dorsal shield entire.................................................................................... 7

- Dorsal shield divided................................................................................... 8

7 Postocularia at the same level of dgl-1; distance of dgl-1 and dgl-2 only slightly larger than distance of dgl-2 and dgl-3.................................................................................................. A. bidewel

- Postocularia anterior to dgl-1; distance of dgl-1 and dgl-2 much larger than distance of dgl-2 and dgl-3........ A. unidorsalis

8 Dorsum with two pairs of posterolateral platelets............................................................. 9

- Dorsum with one pair of posterolateral platelets............................................................ 10

9 Distance of dgl-1 greater than distance of dgl-2; excretory pore midway between genital field and posterior idiosoma margin............................................................................................. A. scutatus

- Distance of dgl-1 equal to distance of dgl-2; excretory pore closer to genital field........................................................................................................................ A. similis Cook, 1986

10(8) P2 with a small anteroventral projection; postocularia on same level as dgl-1................................................................................................................................ A. geometricus

- P2 with a large anteroventral projection; postocularia anterior to dgl-1..................................... A. pilbara

11(1) Genital field with four pairs of acetabula.................................................................. 12

- Genital field with three pairs of acetabula................................................................. 15

12 Dorsum with one large platelet and five smaller posterior platelets................................................................................................................................. A. neogeometricus n. sp.

- Dorsum with one large platelet and four smaller platelets..................................................... 13

13 Distance of dgl-1 equal to distance of dgl-2........................................................... A. aethes

- Distance of dgl-1 greater than distance of dgl-2............................................................. 14

14 P4 slender................................................................................ A. imperfectus

- P4 less slender.............................................................................. A. wittenoom

15(11) Dorsum with one large platelet and five smaller posterior platelets.................................... A. geometricus

- Dorsum with one large platelet and four smaller platelets..................................................... 16

16 Distance of dgl-1 greater than distance of dgl-2............................................................. 17

- Distance of dgl-1 equal to distance of dgl-2................................................................ 18

17 P2 with a small anteroventral extension............................................................ A. scutatus

- P2 with a large anteroventral extension............................................................ A. pilbara

18(16) Dorsal shield less than 1000 µm................................................................... A. similis

- Dorsal shield greater than 1100 µm............................................................... A. bidewel