Eremaeozetidae Piffl, 1972

Colloff, Matthew J., 2012, New eremaeozetid mites (Acari: Oribatida: Eremaeozetoidea) from the south-western Pacific region and the taxonomic status of the Eremaeozetidae and Idiozetidae, Zootaxa 3435, pp. 1-39 : 3

Eremaeozetidae Piffl, 1972

Eremaeozetidae Piffl, 1972 , p. 313.

Type genus: Eremaeozetes Berlese, 1913 .

Idiozetidae Aoki, 1976 , p. 51. syn. nov. Type genus: Idiozetes Aoki, 1976 .

Diagnosis. Cerotegument well-developed, covering entire body except lenticulus or less-developed ventrally. Prodorsum covered by broad lamellae fused posteriomedially, extending beyond rostrum. Exobothridial setae absent. Tutorium and pedotecta I and II present; genal notch absent. Dorsophragmata and pleurophragmata present. Subcapitulum diarthric, palp-tarsal eupathidium acm separate from solenidion, on conical tubercle or tubercle absent. Chelicerae chelate-dentate. Axillary saccule of subcapitulum absent. Prodorsum and notogaster separate or partially fused. Adult notogaster typically with 10–12 pairs of setae (range 6–12 pairs). Octotaxic system, where present, with up to four pairs of sacculi. Lenticulus convex with well defined border. Immovable pteromorphs, dorsosejugal lobes, posterior notogastral tectum and circumpedal carina present. Solenidion σ on genu I elongated. Immatures plicate, apheredermous.

Remarks. The above definition is based on that for the Eremaeozetoidea by Norton & Behan-Pelletier (2009), with minor modifications. Piffl (1972) defined Eremaeozetidae as tridactylous Polypterozoidea with strong cerotegument, a labiogenal articulation, a lenticulus and immovable pteromorphs. However, the nymphs of Eremaeozetidae are apheredermous, not euperedermous as in Polypterozetoidea.

Idiozetidae was defined by Aoki (1976) to contain Idiozetes erectus as follows: notogaster small and strongly convex, with a prominent anterior projection. Immovable pteromorphs separated from notogaster, long and curved ventrally. With a prominent membranous projection in front of each pteromorph. Sacculi on notogaster. Lamellae close together and fused posteriorly. Pedotecta I and II well-developed. One pair of anal setae. Whole of body covered by thick cerotegument.

Nübel-Reidelbach & Woas (1992) considered that Idiozetes was closely related to Eremaeozetes because both genera possess ventrally-curved lamellae covering the rostrum, narrow pteromorphs, a protuberant lenticulus, the two paddle-like processes in the area of the dorsosejugal suture (humeral processes of Norton & Behan-Pelletier, 2009, their Fig. 15.60D; herein referred to as dorsosejugal lobes) and the presence of sacculi. Norton & Behan- Pelletier (2009) retained the Idiozetidae ‘pending discovery of idiozetid immatures’; the inference being that morphological differences from immatures of Eremaeozetidae would be a basis for the validity of Idiozetidae . The presence of sacculi as a defining character state for Idiozetidae ( Aoki, 1976; Norton & Behan-Pelletier, 2009) was questioned by Woas (2002) who considered this was no justification for separate family or superfamily status for Idiozetes because of the ‘intermittent’ occurrence of sacculi within the lower Brachypylina . I agree with Woas, based on the presence of a pair of sacculi in some Eremaeozetidae , including Eremaeozetes arboreus Nübel- Reidelbach & Woas, 1992; Rogerzetes samueli sp. nov. and all species of Retrozetes gen nov. (cf. remarks sections for these taxa below), which also possesses the other shared character states of Eremaeozetidae and Idiozetidae listed by Nübel-Reidelbach & Woas (1992). Of the character states used by Aoki (1976) to define Idiozetidae , only the strongly convex, globular notogaster is not shared by Eremaeozetidae . This single character state is insufficient justification for separate family status and Idiozetidae is considered to be a junior subjective synonym of Eremaeozetidae .