Tanytydeus Theron, Meyer and Ryke, 1969

Khanjani, Mohammad, Nadri, Ali Reza, Khanjani, Masoumeh & Seeman, Owen D., 2014, Post larval stages of Tanytydeus beyzavii sp. nov. (Acari: Paratydeidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3895 (2), pp. 170-182 : 171

Genus Tanytydeus Theron, Meyer and Ryke, 1969

Type species: Tanytydeus cristatus Theron, Meyer and Ryke, 1969 , by original designation

Diagnosis (adapted from Theron et al. 1969): Prodorsum without eyes, prodorsal shield linear, crista-like. All solenidia represented by pits; tarsus III with at least six setae.

Remarks. Genera of Paratydeidae are partially defined by the division of the body by several folds or furrows. These are usually distinct, as in the species described by Theron et al. (1969), but in our new species several folds show variation. The dorso-sejugal furrow and the furrow between rows C and D are always present, but the other folds (D–E, E–F, F–H) are present or absent. This variability raises doubts over the usefulness of this character in defining genera of Paratydeidae , which is why our genus diagnosis omits this feature.

The genus Hexatydeus Soliman, 1974 originally seemed separate from Tanytydeus on account of possessing an additional fold posterior to row H. However, after examination of type specimens of all Tanytydeus species, we found that the fold posterior to H is always present. Therefore, Hexatydeus belongs to Tanytydeus and, from the ontogeny presented in Dönel et al. (2012), it is apparent that this genus represents deutonymphs or tritonymphs of Tanytydeus . Therefore, Hexatydeus syn. nov. is synonymised with Tanytydeus and its species Hexatydeus aegypticus Soliman, 1974 and Hexatydeus amibilis Kandeel, 1992 are moved to Tanytydeus , i.e. Tanytydeus aegypticus (Soliman) comb. nov. and Tanytydeus amibilis (Kandeel) comb. nov.