Corresponding author: Peter Mašán (
Academic editor: Farid Faraji
Based on features of the lectotype and newly collected specimens from Italy (Boboli Gardens, Florence), a morphological concept of
Mašán P (2018) A morphological re-evaluation of
Several specimens of
In the Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy, fourteen specimens of a species which was putatively considered as a new and closely related with
The main aim of this study is to diagnose and redescribe the type species of
Collected mites were extracted from the litter and soil detritus by means of a modified Berlese-Tullgren funnel equipped with a 40-Watt bulb, and preserved in ethyl alcohol. Before identification, the mites were mounted onto permanent microscope slides, using Swan’s chloral hydrate mounting medium. A Leica DM 1000 light microscope equipped with a Leica EC3 digital camera was used to obtain measurements and photos. Some multiple images were combined using the CombineZP software program (
For the purpose of this study, all the specimens from the large-scale collections so far reported from Slovakia under the confused name
Lectotype by present designation: female (slide number 83/5),
The species may be distinguished from the other congeners especially by combination of the following female characters: (1) dorsal shield setae simple, needle-like; (2) dorsal shield between setae z1 and z2 and peritrematal shields close to stigma with enlarged and cavity-like poroid structure; (3) presternal platelets well sclerotized, with two striae, separate each other, and free from anterior margin of sternal shield; (4) exopodal platelets II–III and III–IV free, not fused to peritrematal shields; (5) ventrianal shield with three pairs of preanal setae (JV1‒JV3); (6) lateral and opisthogastric soft integument with seven pairs of setae: r6, R2‒R4, ZV2, JV4, and JV5; (7) tarsus II with two subdistal posterolateral setae thickened, spur-like; (8) tarsus IV with 17 setae.
The species may be distinguished from the other congeners especially by combination of the following female characters: (1) dorsal shield setae simple, needle-like; (2) dorsal shield between setae z1 and z2 and peritrematal shields close to stigma with enlarged and cavity-like poroid structure; (3) presternal platelets well sclerotized in anterior part, transversely striate, separate each other but connected to anterior margin of sternal shield; (4) exopodal platelets II-III and III-IV free, not fused to peritrematal shields; (5) ventrianal shield with three pairs of preanal setae (JV1‒JV3); (6) lateral and opisthogastric soft integument with eight pairs of setae: r6, R2‒R5, ZV2, JV4, and JV5; (7) tarsus II with two subdistal posterolateral setae thickened, of which pl1 with obtuse apex, spur-like, and pl2 terminally attenuate and sharply pointed (but the tip of pl2 is fragile and can be very often broken in slide-mounted specimens); (8) tarsus IV with 17 setae.
The morphological attributes of the species were described and illustrated in detail by
Many epithets beginning with
The re-evaluation of the lectotype and newly collected material of
(1) the placement of genital pores (placed outside the epigynal shield in
(2) the form and placement of presternal platelets (the platelets evenly sclerotized and free on soft integument in
(3) the number of dorsomarginal setae on soft integument (four pairs in
(4) the form of posterolateral seta pl2 on tarsus II (pl2 robust, spur-like, and apically rounded in
(5) the relative length of peritremes (the peritreme with anterior tip never reaching beyond the longitudinal axis of gland pore gdj3 in
(6) the form of epistome (the epistome with narrow base and large central cusp in
There are also less serious differences recognizable between the two compared species, having partly transitional character, for instance in size and proportions of the dorsal and ventroanal shield, and relative length of some idiosomal setae. Generally, when compared with
The specimens of
I am deeply grateful to Kamila Hrúzová (Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia) who helped me by providing many valuable photos of