Platymamersopsis (Lavorona), Goldschmidt, 2008

Goldschmidt, Tom, 2008, Taxonomical, ecological and zoogeographical studies on anisitsiellid water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Anisitsiellidae Koenike, 1910) from Madagascar, Zootaxa 1954 (1), pp. 1-120 : 109

Subgenus Lavorona subgen. nov.

Typus subgeneris: Lavorona pinocchio sp. nov..

Derivatio nominis: Lava (Malagasy) — long; orona (Malagasy) — nose; referring to the long and slen- der (trunk-like) P5 characterising the subgenus.

Diagnosis: Cxgl-2 between Cx-II and -III, at (or close to) lateral margin of coxal field; capitular bay very wide, shallow; ventral clawlets at claws of leg-I to -III comb-like; leg-IV-6 with two mid-sized and one very small distal setae; capitulum compact, with laterally compressed, keel-like extended rostrum; chelicera slenderer than in main subgenus; palps compact, P4 small, P5 long and slender, trunk-like.

Remarks: In the general shape of the idiosoma, legs and also basal palp-segments the new subgenus Lavorona corresponds to Platymamersopsis s. str., however no other species described so far have keel-like structures on the capitulum. Previously, if any information at all is given on the shape of the capitulum in species descriptions made so far, it is described as “without special characters” (e.g., K.O. Viets 1981). The special shape of the rostrum in the species described herein is also combined with a very characteristic, elongated P5. Therefore is seems reasonable to define a new subgenus to accommodate the following two species from Madagascar. The long and slender P5 is slightly similar to the P5 of Bharatonia Cook, 1967 and Shivatonia Panesar, 2004 both known in one species each from India.