Clausiadinychidae, Kontschán & Ermilov & Friedrich, 2023

Kontschán, Jenő, Ermilov, Sergey G. & Friedrich, Stefan, 2023, Contribution to the knowledge of the Neotropical Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 5360 (2), pp. 255-268 : 256

Clausiadinychidae fam. nov.

Clausiadinychidae Hirschmann, 1979: 69 (nomen nudum).

Clausiadinychidae .— Halliday, 2016: 351.

Type genus. Clausiadinychus Sellnick, 1930

Diagnosis (adults). Idiosoma oval, dorsal shield separated from marginal shield. Marginal shield bearing very long and pilose setae, length of marginal setae as long as or longer than width of dorsal shield. Posterior half of dorsal shield with a transverse row of extremely long setae. Number of ventral setae reduced (only 3–5 pairs); one pair of short, very robust and marginally pilose ventral setae situated posterior to anal opening. Female genital shield scuti- or linguliform, with or without anterior prolongation. Male genital shield rounded and situated at level of coxae II and III. Prestigmatid part of peritreme long and N-shaped, poststigmatid part short. Tritosternum with narrow base, laciniae with two pilose central branches and two smooth lateral branches. Corniculi horn-like; internal malae longer than corniculi and apically divided, the central branch with short hairs, lateral branches with long hairs. Gnathosomal setae situated in one longitudinal row, h1 smooth and long, h2 short and robust, h3 narrow and pilose and h4 robust and pilose. Chelicerae with 1–3 teeth on both digits, internal sclerotised node associated with levator tendon present. Fixed digit longer than movable digit. Setae v1 on palp trochanter long and smooth, v2 short, robust and marginally serrate. Leg I without claws.

Distribution. The family Clausiadinychidae is endemic to the Neotropical Region, with species listed from Martinique ( Sellnick, 1930), Bolivia, Peru, Brazil ( Hirschmann, 1973) and Venezuela ( Huţu, 1991; Kontschán, 2007).

Remarks. Hirschmann (1979) introduced the family name Clausiadinychidae , but it was listed without description or diagnosis or designation of a type genus. Following Halliday’s (2016) suggestion concerning Hirschmann’s nomina nuda family names, we maintain the original name ( Clausiadinychidae ) but formally describe it here as a new family.