Studies on Neotropical Limnesiidae THOR, 1900 Part III: Protolimnesiinae sensu K. VIETS, 1953 (Acari, Actinedida, Hydrachnidia)

摘要

In the Protolimnesiinae sensu K. VIETS, 1940, 19 species and subspecies in six genera were previously described. This highly heterogeneous subfamily can be found from South America through Central America into the southern USA. This paper presents a revision and reorganization of this group in three subfamilies: Protolimnesiinae stat. nov., Rheolimnesiinae subfam. nov. and Mixdeinae sensu ORGHIDAN & GRUIA, 1980. Diagnosis of the Protolimnesiinae stat. nov. and the Rheolimnesiinae subfam. nov. are given, followed by morphology, ecology, distribution and habitat data for six species from Costa Rica and two from Ecuador. The research history of the Protolimnesiinae sensu K, VIETS, 1940, diagnostic characteristics and the distribution of the species of this subfamily follow. A determination key for the difficult species and subspecies of Pmtolimnesia s. str. LUNDBLAD, 1927 is presented. This paper describes one new genus: Guanacastacarus marine gen. nov., sp. nov., from a helocrene spring in north-west Costa Rica and three new species: Rheolimnesia costarricense sp. nov., from springs and spring brooks throughout the country, Pmtolimnesia oculata sp. nov. from lower mountain regions in south-east and north-west Costa Rica and Pmtolimnesia lobata sp. nov. from a brook in the north-western mountain regions. The species Pmtolimnesia ventriplacophora SMITH & COOK, 1996 from the USA is found in Costa Rica the first time. The male of Pmtolimnesia mesoamericana COOK, 1980 from Costa Rica is described. Differences between the descriptions of these species and the specimens treated here are discussed. Pmtolimnesia gerecki sp. nov. is described from Ecuador. Ruhicundula GERECKE, 1995 is synonymized with Rheolimnesia LUNDBLAD, 1953 and the female of Rheolimnesia placibilis (GERECKE, 1995) from Ecuador is described. Following a discussion of the phylogenetic position of the primitive limnesiids, attention is drawn to the similarities between the Rheolimnesiinae and the Anisitsiellidae.