Limnesia szalayi K. Viets, 1955

Smit, Harry, 2022, New records of water mites of the family Limnesiidae Thor from Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of seven new species, Acarologia 62 (1), pp. 193-222 : 205

Limnesia szalayi K. Viets, 1955 syn. nov.

Material examined — Limnesia patens . Syntypes: Two males, three deutonymphs, Kratersee Telaga, Buitenzorg, Java, 21.11.1928, (Type, slide 45621, SMF); two males, one female, Sindanglaja Quelle, Buitenzorg, Java, 21.11.1928 (Types, slide 45622, SMF). Limnesia szalayi . Holotype female, Kuranda, N Queensland, Laird coll., 13.6.54 (slide 45696, SMF) .

New record — Queensland. 1/1/0, Spear Creek at crossing with Bypass Road, Cape York Peninsula, 12°03.206′ S 142°39.138′ E, 76 m a.s.l., 23 Oct. 2014.

Remarks — The specimens from this study match the description of K. Viets (1935) well. K. Viets (1955) described a very similar species from northern Queensland, i.e. L. szalayi . The description of the latter species was based on one female only, and Viets didn′t compare it with other species. Moreover, the holotype of L. szalayi was fixed in ethanol, which makes it often difficult to see the morphological structures well. Cook (1986) noticed the similarity between the two species. When comparing the original descriptions, the only difference I find between the two species is that L. patens has no posteromedial platelet (K. Viets 1935), and in L. szalayi an indistinct platelet should be present (K. Viets 1955). I examined the holotype and only known specimen thus far of L. szalayi , but I do not see a posteromedial platelet. In the shape of palp and genital field the two species are identical. Therefore, I propose to synonymize L. szalayi with L patens .

Distribution — Limnesia patens is widespread, and has been reported from Java, Indonesia (K. Viets 1935), India ( Cook 1967) and Burma ( Lundblad 1969). Within Australia known only from Queensland.