Atractides pennatus (K.Viets, 1920)

Martin, Peter, 2006, On the morphology and classification of larval water mites (Hydrachnidia, Acari) from springs in Luxembourg, Zootaxa 1138, pp. 1-44 : 28-30

Atractides pennatus (K.Viets, 1920)

Records ( Table 2): Benthos samples at two spring sites in Gutland, 41 individuals ( Gerecke et al. 2005). E 7 6 larvae, parasitic on chironomids, attributed to A. pennatus .

Material examined: 6 larvae attached to chironomids. Because of the poor state of the material, measurements were only taken from 1– 3 specimens.

Preliminary description (E 7, n = 2): Length of idiosoma (engorged specimens) 246– 261 (254), width 165–201 (183), Dp length/width 174–192 (183)/ 96–102 (99), Length CX­I­III (from the median gnathosomal bay to the posterior end of CX­I­III) (n= 3) 141– 147 (145), common median length of both CX­I­III 126–135 (130), C 1 ­C 2 (n= 2) 42–51 (47), C 1 ­Mmcp 18 – 18 (18), C 4 ­Pmcp 66–69 (68), C 1 ­C 4 60–66 (63), length/width Expp (n= 3) 24 – 24 (24)/ 39–45 (42), E 1 ­ E 1 18 –21 (20), E 2 ­ E 2 36 –42 (39).

Legs (n= 2): Leg I total length 195–204 (200), length I­L 1 27–33 (30), I­L 2 36 – 36 (36), I­L 3 39 – 39 (39), I­L 4 42 – 42 (42), I­L 5 51–54 (53).

Leg II: Total length 207–210 (209), length II­L 1 30 – 30 (30), II­L 2 36–39 (38), II­L 3 39 – 39 (39), II­L 4 45 – 45 (45), II­L 5 57 – 57 (57).

Leg III: Total length 222–228 (225), length III­L 1 30 – 30 (30), III­L 2 42 – 42 (42), III­ L 3 36–39 (38), III­L 4 51 – 51 (51), III­L 5 63–66 (65).

Diagnostic characters of larvae: Larvae of A. pennatus were previously undescribed. The above described Atractides individuals differ distinctly from the two other species of the genus frequently found in Luxembourgian springs, the abundant A. fonticolus and the more rare A. nodipalpis ( Gerecke et al. 2005) in leg length, length of Dp and width of Expp.