Diplodontus scapularis Dugès, 1834

Pešić, Vladimir, Bańkowska, Aleksandra, Saboori, Alireza, Mabrouki, Youness, Taybi, Abdelkhaleq Fouzi & Zawal, Andrzej, 2023, First record of the halobiontic Diplodontus semiperforatus (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from North Khorasan, with notes on water mites from saline habitats of Iran, Persian Journal of Acarology 12 (4), pp. 533-541 : 535

Diplodontus scapularis Dugès, 1834 ( Figs. 1C, D )

Material examined

Morocco: Oued Messoussate , 35.0674° N, 2.9032° W, 10 June 2020 leg. Mabrouki, 1♀ (sequenced; Table 1); environmental characteristics of the sampling site: pH 7.5, water temperature 24 °C, conductivity 541 μS/cm, dissolved oxygen 12 mg / L. Messoussate, intermittent river, 35.0682° N, 2.90114° W, 7 Oct. 2021 leg. Mabrouki, 1♂, 1♀ (sequenced; Table 1), ♀ dissected (palps and gnathosoma slide mounted, idiosoma conserved in Koenike fluid); environmental characteristics of the sampling site: pH 7.8, water temperature 23 °C, conductivity 597 μS/cm, dissolved oxygen 10 mg /L .

Molecular data

The Moroccan specimens molecularly analyzed in this study match the description of D. scapularis . These individuals form a unique BIN ( BOLD: AEL3056), with the nearest neighboring BIN being BOLD: AFG9586, which consists of a specimen of D. semiperforatus from Iran (see below).

Habitat

Individuals collected in Morocco, here used for molecular analysis, were collected on two localities, a remnant pool of a summer-dry stream and a small pond fed by a spring. Both localities are characterized by low electrolyte concentrations (conductivity 541–597 μS/cm).

Distribution Morocco, Croatia, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Italy, Syria.

Figures

Figure 1. A-B, E: Diplodontus semiperforatus (Walter, 1925), ♀, Qareh Ghan, Iran – A. Palp, lateral view; B. Chelicera; E. Photograph of genital field. C–D: Diplodontus scapularis Dugès, 1834, Messoussate, Morocco (C – ♀, F – ♂) – C. Chelicera; D. Photograph of genital field. F. Maximum Likelihood tree (GTR+I model) of the genus Diplodontus obtained from 6 nucleotide COI sequences.