Torrenticola elliptica Maglio, 1909

Sabatino, Antonio Di, Gerecke, Reinhard, Gledhill, Terence & Smit, Harry, 2009, On the taxonomy of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) described from the Palaearctic, part 2: Hydryphantoidea and Lebertioidea, Zootaxa 2266, pp. 1-34 : 25

Torrenticola elliptica Maglio, 1909

Material examined: France: F 129, Auvergne, riv. Jordanne at Mandailles, 927 m, 45°04'225'' N, 2°39'510'' E, 18.05.2005, Smit (9/12/0); F 136, Auvergne, La Planchette at Jassat, S of Mural, 894 m, 45°33'716'' N, 2°56'339'' E, 20.05.2005, Smit (13/16/1).

Remark: Torrenticola elliptica is widespread in Central Europe, with a preference for montane low-order streams where its resting stages develop in the hyporheic interstitial. A similar sister species described from S Italy, T. meridionalis Di Sabatino & Cicolani, 1990 and later recorded also from the Balkan area ( Di Sabatino et al. 2003), was separated from T. elliptica based on the following differences (data for T. elliptica in brackets): (1) idiosoma less slender, L/W dorsal shield <1.5 (> 1.5); (2) Cx-II+III median L in males relatively shorter, L ratio Cx-I/Cx-II+III> 3.5 (<3.0); (3) male genital field stouter, L/ W 1.2 (about 1.3). The specimens from the Auvergne agree with T. meridionalis in the relatively larger dorsal shield (L/ W 1.41 - 1.49), are intermediate in the proportions of Cx-I/II+III (L ratio Cx-I/Cx-II+III 3.0-3.5), but have a genital field as described for T. elliptica (L/ W 1.3 -1.4). For the time being, the relatively stout genital field of males remains the only diagnostic feature of T. meridionalis , while the shape of dorsal shield and coxae of T. elliptica is obviously more variable than previously assumed. Females of the two species cannot be separated.