Atractides cagiallensis, Gerecke, 2003, Gerecke, 2003

Gerecke, Reinhard, 2003, Water mites of the genus Atractides Koch, 1837 (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) in the western Palaearctic region: a revision, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 138, pp. 141-378 : 314

ATRACTIDES CAGIALLENSIS RENSBURG, 1971

Species dubia

Type series: Holotype ♀ NHMB Atractides cagiallensis sp. nov. coll. ♀ NHMB Prep. 51 30.9.1968 Cagiallo 10.5∞ C Coll. 11. State of conservation: preparation desiccated, subjects still surrounded by mounting medium, but crushed; all legs in situ, only IV-L-4/5 missing; gnathosoma incl. chelicera, and both palps separate, laterally.

Discussion: The single female on which the description is based is obviously juvenile, very weakly sclerotized and without secondary sclerite (Rensburg’s observation: ‘glandularia and setae [..] not as closely associated as in other described forms’ describes a typically juvenile feature). Following the original description, the specimen has the coxal plates fused to a coxal shield, a lineated integument, a rather high I-L-5/6 ratio (1.70) heteromorphic S-1 and -2 (L S-1 105, L/ W 8.8, L S-2 92, ratio 5.8) 22 Mm apart, a smooth excretory pore, unfused Vgl-1/2, Ac (diameter about 45 Mm) in triangular arrangement, and a relatively long palp (total L 390 Mm) without particular morphological features. Due to the observed presence of a coxal shield, Rensburg compared A. cagiallensis to A. tatrensis , a species here synonymized with A. vaginalis . Clear differences in the latter include the much larger idiosomal sclerites and appendages, but also the morphology of the I-L (short, homoiomorphic S-1 and -2). The coxal plates of the specimen are asymmetrically interlocked, and therefore it is doubtful if they were really fused. In juveniles, observing the degree and extension of sclerotization is often difficult due to the low differences between the sclerotized and membranous parts of the integument.

In view of the scanty documentation in the original description, combined with the poor state and juvenile age of the holotype and the absence of further authorized material for examination, there is no means of establishing the identity of this taxon. A. cagiallensis is thus a species dubia.