Schwendingeriella tapanensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a new remarkable representative of Uropodina mites from Thailand (Acari: Mesostigmata: Urodinychidae)

Abstract

A new mite genus, Schwendingeriella gen. nov. (Mesostigmata: Uropodina: Urodinychidae), with Schwendingeriella tapanensis sp. nov. as type species, is described on the basis of 12 females and nine males collected in soil samples from Thailand. The new genus has a unique character combination which has not been previously observed within the family Urodinychidae: numerous needle-like prolongations on the anterior margin of the female genital shield; the presence of a pygidial shield; an unusual web-like structure on the dorsal shield; the wide and marginally pilose internal malae on the gnathosoma, and the palp apothele with four branches.