Protzia rotunda Walter, 1908

Pesic, Vladimir, 2005, Water mites of the genus Protzia Piersig, 1896 (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Hydryphantidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 1019 (1), pp. 53-64 : 54-55

Protzia rotunda Walter, 1908

Syn. P. cabardinica ( Sokolow, 1940) : syn. nov.

Material examined: NHMB 1977­05­31 _4[20] Damawand area, stream Damawand­Berg. Abgam , ascent to the village with hot sulphureous spring, 2070 m asl., leg. Bader (0/2/0) ; NHMB 1977­09­03 _[27] Khorramabad area—Malayer Hamadan, stream near village Ghol­eh Gol, 36 km from Khorramabad , leg. Schwoerbel & Sepasgosarian (0/1/0) ; IR6 Mazandaran Province, Elburs Mt., hygropetric stream near Kandelous (on Kojor road, 35°53'N, 52°12'E) , T =14º, 1603 m asl., 18.07.2003, leg. Pesic, Asadi, Saboori & Akrami (0/2/0) ; IR39 Yazd Province, Deh Bala, 60 km from Yazd (in Kerman to Shiraz road), ca. 2100 m asl., 05.08.2003, leg. Pesic (2/1/1)

Description: Variability given as mean (minimum­maximum); Females (n=3 from IR6, 4[20] and 2[27]): leg claws with 4 (3–5) Lcl and 6 (5–7) Mcl; Ac number 20 (17–23); CAc L 39 (34–45), CAc W 25 (22–28), ratio L/ W 1.54 (1.35–1.8); CAc stalk L 21.5 (18– 23), CAc ratio stalk L/Ac 0.56 (0.48–0.62); gnathosoma L 244 (223–284), L/W ratio 1.7; chelicera L 275 (260–297), ratio basal segment/claw 2.45 (2.34–2.6), ratio L/H 5.12 (4.92–5.29); palp total L 381 (364–410), dorsal length: P­1 27.4 (23.5–34) P­2 104.5 (96– 113), P­3 51.5 (48.5–57), P­4 154 (148.5–163), P­5 43 (42–44); L/H ratio: P­1 0.44 (0.42– 0.48), P­2 1.89 (1.77–2.0) P­3 0.74 (0.69–0.78), P­4 3.39 (3.26–3.55), P­5 2.59 (2.43–2.7), relative length (given as % of total length): P­1 7.2 (6.4–8.2), P­2 27.5 (26.5–28.3), P­3 13.5 (13.1–14.0), P­4 40.5 (39.8–41.6), P­5 11.3 (10.4–11.9); L ratio P­2/P­4 0.68 (0.64– 0.7).

Remarks: From our data it is concluded that the number of setae on Cx­1 and 2 is variable and therefore is not suitable for species determination in this group. In a redescription of P. cabardinica , the only differences found compared with P. rotunda concerned the latter character (Gerecke 1996a). As this character is now known to be largely variable, this species should be regarded a synonym of P. rotunda .

The specimens from central Iran (Yazd Province, IR39) differs from northern and western Iranian examples of P. rotunda in the increased number of Ac (14). To clarify the taxonomic situation along the N­S gradient, more specimens from the areas between the northern and southern part of Iran must be studied.

Distribution: S Europe, Iran.