Redescription of the longest-legged oribatid mite, Metabelbella phalangioides (Michael, 1890) com. nov., a species from Algeria and Southern Spain (Acariformes: Oribatida: Damaeidae)
2006
Arillo, A. | Subías, L. S.
In this paper the oribatid mite Damaeus phalangioides Michael, 1890 is transferred to the genus Metabelbella and is redescribed. It was first described (based on only one specimen) from the North of Africa (Algeria) and, until now, it was only recorded once again (only one specimen also), from Southeast Spain, in Sierra Nevada. This second record was not included in the revision of the series Fauna Ibérica by Pérez-Íñigo (1997). Neither specimen was recorded in a cave, but now a third specimen has been found in a cave in southern Spain and the presence of this species in Spain is confirmed. Metabelbella phalangioides com. nov. could be a truly troglobic species because the specimen is rather pale coloured despite having a great body size. We assigned the new specimen to this species due (among other features) to the great development of its legs, the longest known among oribatid mites, although species with legs longer than the body are not uncommon in the family Damaeidae. The following new combinations are also proposed: Metabelbella gratiosa (Willmann, 1941) com. nov. and Metabelbella clavigera (Willmann, 1954) com. nov.
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