Lohmannia banksi Norton, Metz et Sharma, 1978

Schatz, H. & Schuster, R., 2012, First Records Of Lohmanniidae (Acari: Oribatida) From The Bermuda Islands, Acarologia 52 (3), pp. 247-257 : 249-250

Lohmannia banksi Norton, Metz et Sharma, 1978

Norton et al. 1978: 18, figs. 2-3; Balogh and Balogh 1987: 334, pl. 7 A-B.

Dimensions: adult (n=13) 846 (770 – 915) x 388 (365 – 405), larva (n=7) 413 (375 – 435) x 211 (190 – 225), protonymph (n=14) 511 (460 – 565) x 264 (250 – 280), deutonymph (n=4) 615 (600 – 640) x 312 (300 – 320), tritonymph (n=5) 744 (685 – 820) x 372 (340 – 400) µm.

Prodorsum very weakly three-lobed. Sensillus with 10-12 branches in adult, trito- and deutonymph, 10 branches in protonymph, 8-9 branches in larva. Posterior exobothridial setae except in larva almost circular, measurements 50 – 60 x 40 – 55 in adult, 48 – 50 x 40 – 48 in tritonymph, 35 – 38 x 32 – 35 in deutonymph, 25 x 20 – 25 in protonymph, 20 x 7 µm in larva. Notogastral setae phylliform with serrated margins and with an obtuse, blunt tip, but at least distally with a weakly developed midrib in adult. Juvenile instars generally with smaller setae, dorsomedian setae in larva very weakly dilated with serrated margins, other notogastral setae gradually dilated to phylliform with a midrib in other instars. Posterior medial genital setae slightly widened in adult.

Remarks: A comparison with the paratype of this species was possible. The adult and juvenile specimens found on Bermuda correspond to this type (adult) and the original description ( Norton et al. 1978) and are considered conspecific. Leaf-like notogastral setae of different shape are found in several species of the genus. In their key of the genus Lohmannia, Balogh and Balogh (1987) state the notogastral setae of this species "without midrib" but apparently they misinterpreted the drawing of Norton et al. (1978), where the midribs of the notogastral setae are barely indicated and not specially mentioned in the text. The body size of all instars from the population in Bermuda are in the range of the population from North Carolina.

Records from Bermuda: BE 26: 2 larvae . BE 30: 2 adults, 1 tritonymph, 1 deutonymph, 2 protonymphs, 2 larvae. BE 119: 2 adults, 2 tritonymphs, 2 deutonymphs, 4 protonymphs, 1 larva. BE 124: 1 adult, 1 tritonymph, 1 protonymph, 1 larva. BE 126: 5 adults, 1 protonymph, 2 larvae. BE 282: 2 adults, 2 protonymphs. BE 285: 1 tritonymph, 1 deutonymph. BE 287: 1 adult, 2 protonymphs. BE 288: 2 protonymphs. BE 303: 1 adult. BE 310: 1 adult.

General distribution: USA, North Carolina: pine-forest floor in Durham County ( Norton et al. 1978) Texas ( McDaniel et al. 1979); Mexico, Quintana Roo: Sian Ka’an, lowland inundation forest, in leaf litter and soil ( Vazquez 1999); first record for Bermuda.