Canterburaturus, Pesic, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Datry, Thibault, 2010

Pesic, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Datry, Thibault, 2010, Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the hyporheic waters of the Selwyn River (New Zealand), with descriptions of nine new species, Zootaxa 2355, pp. 1-34 : 19-20

Canterburaturus n. gen.

Diagnosis. Characters of the Taintaturus genus group (IV-L-2 dorsoventrally expanded and is the largest of the leg segments; IV-L-3 very small, with the ventral side reduced more or less to an angle bearing two pairs of setae, see: Cook 1991); anterolateral platelets bearing one pair of glandularia; the pair of glandularia which lie free in the integument in most New Zealand genera are incorporated into the posterolateral platelets; dorsal sclerites smooth or rugose; projections associated with insertions of IV-L relatively large; a pair of glandularia located immediately medial to insertions of IV-L; acetabula numerous; leg segments somewhat laterally compressed.

Type species. Canterburaturus minutus sp. nov.

Etymology. Named after the Canterbury region where the type species was collected.

Remarks. The new genus differs from other Taintaturus -like genera in the pair of glandularia which lie free in the integument in most New Zealand genera but are incorporated into the posterolateral plate in the new genus.

Among Taintaturus -like genera, fusion of glandularia 2 with the posterolateral plate is also found in Abelaturus schwoerbeli . Abelaturus -species differ strongly from Canterburaturus and other Taintaturus - like genera in the capitulum attached to a tube of soft integument to produce greatly protrusible mouth parts. This demonstrates that fusion of free glandularium 2 with the posterolateral platelet developed at least two times independently in Taintaturu s-like mites.

A key to the Taintaturus —like genera (after Cook 1991, modified to include Canterburaturus ) is given below.

1. Capitulum attached to a tube of soft integument to produce greatly protrusible mouth parts ........... Abelaturus Cook

- Capitulum not protrusible ............................................................................................................................................. 2

2. A pair of small glandularia lying free in the integument between anterolateral and posterolateral platelets............... 3

- The above pair of glandularia fused with either the antero- or posterolateral platelets, or with the posteromedial plate ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

3. Palp segments greatly elongated....................................................................................................... Omegaturus Cook

- Palp segments of “normal length” ................................................................................................ Taintaturus Hopkins

4. Posteromedial plate with two pairs of glandularia........................................................................................................ 5

- Posteromedial plate with three pairs of glandularia............................................................................ Hestaturus Cook

5. Anterolateral platelets with two pairs of glandularia, posterolateral platelets without glandularia .... Planaturus Cook Anterolateral platelets with one pair of glandularia, posterolateral platelets with one pair of glandularia .................... ................................................................................................................................................. Canterburaturus n. gen.