Schweizerzetes, Mahunka, 2001

Mahunka, S., 2001, Oribatids from Switzerland IX (Acari: Oribatidae, Mycobatidae 2) (Acarologica Genavensia CI), Archives des Sciences, Geneve 54, pp. 129-138 : 130-132

Schweizerzetes gen. n.

Diagnosis: Family Mycobatidae , subfamily Minunthozetinae . Rostral apex excised by a deep, median, U-shaped incision, with sharply pointed teeth laterally. One pair of small lateral indentations also visible. Lamellae originating medially, normally developed, with long cusps, bearing the long lamellar setae. Translamella present, wide. Tutorium with dentate cusp. Bothridium simple, cup-shaped, sensillus fusiform. Interlamellar setae very long, arising very near to each other, their insertions connected by a weak lath. A transversal bridge present behind them, with one pair of long, S-shaped processes posteriorly. Between them a pair of weak enantiophyses present. Genal tooth

wide. Pedotectum I conspicuously concave basally, wide, convex anteriorly, completely covering acetabulum I. Custodium long and large. Notogaster with a small, convex anterior median tectum. Pteromorphae partly movable, with a comparatively long desclerotization line. Ten pairs of notogastral setae and three pairs of porose areas present. Subcapitulum without mental tectum. Circumpedal carina present. Palp setal formula: 2 - 1 - 3 - 9+1. Epimeral setal formula: 3-1-2-2. Anogenital setal formula: 6-1-2-3. All tarsi monodactylous. Solenidium phi2 arising in front of phi1, on a small tubercle, phi1 on the surface of the segment. Tibia I with a basiventral, tibia II with a large, anterodorsal apophysis.

Type species: Punctoribates (?) perlongus (Balogh, 1959).

Remarks: When describing the closely allied genus Alpizetes I surveyed the concept of Behan-Pelletier (1988) regarding the relationships of the subfamily Minunthozetinae , and how that subfamily is related to the family Mycobatidae . This new genus further enlarges the number of variations, and there are other known taxa which complicate the already existing problem.

The new genus is defined by combining the features of the overlapping, unfused posteromedian notogastral tectum, the partly hinged pteromorpha and the shape of the subcapitulum (ceratozetoid type). This combination of features has never occurred simultaneously in one genus.

On the basis of the other features of the diagnosis, Schweizerzetes gen. n. stands far apart from other known genera. Closest to it is the genus Feiderzetes Subías, 1977, but it may readily be separated by the divided posterior tectum of the notogaster. It differs from the closely allied Ellipsozetes Bernini, 1980 by the basal tubercles of the interlamellar setae. The genus is monotypic so far. The type species, S. perlongus (Balogh, 1959), was discovered in a marsh of Western Hungary and it was rediscovered in the Biscay province of Spain (Iturrondobeitia & Subías, 1981; Salona Bordas & Iturrondobeitia Bilbao, 1988; Pérez-Ínigo, 1993). The original description is here complemented in parts, and the publication of some new figures helps a better identification of the species.

Derivatio nominis: I dedicate the new genus to the memory of Dr. J. Schweizer, the first explorer of the Swiss Oribatida.