Proteonematalycus wagneri Kethley reveals where the opisthosoma begins in acariform mites

Abstract

It is generally thought that the anterior border of the opisthosoma of acariform mites is delineated by the disjugal furrow, but there is no evidence to support this other than the superficial appearance of tagmosis in some oribatids. It is proposed herein that the disjugal furrow is an apomorphic feature that does not correspond with any segmental borders. Although the disjugal furrow is absent from Proteonematalycus wagneri Kethley, the visible body segments of this species indicate that this furrow, when present, intersects the metapodosoma. Therefore, the disjugal furrow does not delineate the anterior border of the opisthosoma. Instead, this border is between segments D and E (segments VI and VII for all arachnids). This hypothesis can be accommodated by a new model in which the proterosoma warps upwards relative to the main body axis. This model, which is applicable to all Acariformes, if not all arachnids, explains the following phenomena: 1) the location of the gnathosomal neuromeres within the idiosoma; 2) the relatively posterior position of the paired eyes; 3) the shape of the synganglion; 4) the uneven distribution of legs in most species of acariform mites with elongate bodies.