Olopachys Berlese, 1910

MAŠÁN, PETER & HALLIDAY, BRUCE, 2014, Review of the mite family Pachylaelapidae (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 3776 (1), pp. 1-66 : 27

Genus Olopachys Berlese, 1910

Pachylaelaps (Olopachys) Berlese, 1910a: 256 .

Type species Pachylaelaps (Olopachys) scutatus Berlese, 1910 , by original designation.

Berlese (1910a) described Olopachys as a subgenus of Pachylaelaps , in which the females have the anal and genitiventral shields fused together. Koroleva (1977b), Karg (1993) and Mašán (2007a) considered this character state to be of generic importance because there is no other pachylaelapid genus with an entire genitiventrianal shield covering the posteroventral idiosoma. The genus was re-defined by Mašán (2007a, 2007b), and currently comprises 14 described species distributed mainly throughout the Caucasus and adjacent regions.

In Olopachys , as in other genera of Pachylaelapinae , there are species with 1–2 spur-like distal setae on tarsus II, as well as species with dorsal setae J5 either minute or normal. Mašán (2007b) divided the genus into two subgenera, namely Olopachylaella and Olopachys s. str. The subgenus Olopachylaella may be reliably distinguished from Olopachys s. str. mainly by the presence of normal needle-like clunal setae J5, and a shortened and foliate spermatodactyl. In general appearance, gnathosomal features and armature of legs II (not considering the fusion of the genitiventral shield and anal shield), Olopachylaella is similar to Pachylaelaps (Longipachylaelaps) , which also has normally developed setae J5. More significant similarities in external morphology between Olopachylaella and Longipachylaelaps than between Olopachylaella and Olopachys s. str. suggest convergent or parallel evolution of the two Olopachys subgenera as well as the secondary fusion of the genitiventral and anal shields in Olopachylaella .