Helvetacarus, Mahunka, S., 1993

Mahunka, S., 1993, Oribatids from Switzerland I. (Acari: Oribatida). (Acarologica Genavensia LXXXI), Archives des Sciences, Geneve 46, pp. 51-56 : 51-52

Helvetacarus gen. n.

Diagnosis: Family Phthiracaridae . Cuticle ornamented, setae of the body spiculate or roughened. Aspis without lateral carina and sinus line, lateral rim normal. A strong transversal lath present on the basal surface of the aspis connecting the insertions of the lamellar and interlamellar setae. Eighteen to twenty pairs of notogastral setae present, two pairs of them (d1 and e1) arising very near to each other in the middle of the notogaster. Only two pairs of lyrifissures (ia, im) present. Nine pairs of genital setae arising in one longitudinal row. Five pairs of ano-adanal setae present, four of them located along the inner margin of the ano-adanal plates. Chaetotaxy of the legs belongs to the"normal type", femur of leg I bearing 4, tarsus of leg I 16, tarsus IV 10 setae. Setae d on tibia IV minute, coupled with the solenidium.

Type species: Helvetacarus genavensis sp. n.

Remarks: The new taxon is related to Atropacarus Ewing, 1918. However, it is distinguished from the latter (and all other genera of Phthiracaridae ) by the characteristic position of setae d1 and e1; and the characteristic sculpture of the basal part of the aspis.

As I mentioned earlier (Mahunka, 1991), two other species belong to the " mirabilis "-group: Steganacarus mirabilis Mahunka , 1979, described from Greece and transfered by Mahunka (1991) into the genus Atropacarus , and Atropacarus inconditus Mahunka, 1991, from Hungary. I place them also into the new genus: Helvetacarus mirabilis (Mahunka, 1979) comb. n. and Helvetacarus inconditus (Mahunka, 1991) comb. n.