Leptus pozzoicus is a species of
mite
Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...
. It is named after Porto Pozzo, near
Santa Teresa Gallura
Santa Teresa Gallura (Gallurese: ''Lungoni'', sc, Lungone) is a town on the northern tip of Sardinia, on the Strait of Bonifacio, in the province of Sassari, Italy. The southern coast of Corsica can be seen from the beach. The city is one of seve ...
, the place where the species was first collected. ''L. pozzoicus'' belongs to the group of species with two palpgenualae, and that have over four
seta
In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.
Animal setae
Protostomes
Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...
e between
coxalae II and III. It differs from its cogenerate species by various length measurements.
[Haitlinger, R. Y. S. Z. A. R. D. "New records of mites from Corsica and Sardinia, with descriptions of five new species (Acari: Prostigmata: Erythraeidae, Trombidiidae, Eutrombidiidae)." Genus 18.3 (2007): 529-543.]
Description
Larva
This species' dorsum counts with about 250
setulose setae, and one eye on each side. Its dorsal
scutum
The ''scutum'' (; plural ''scuta'') was a type of shield used among Italic peoples in antiquity, most notably by the army of ancient Rome starting about the fourth century BC.
The Romans adopted it when they switched from the military formati ...
has a concave anterior border. Its posterior border is pointed. Its scutalae possess distinct
setules. Anterior
sensillae and posterior sensillae are both nude. It presents a short line behind its sensillae's sockets, as well as two lines below and laterally to the posterior sensillae's sockets. Its
idiosoma
''Idiosoma'' is a genus of Australian armored trapdoor spiders that was first described by Anton Ausserer in 1871. Originally placed with the Ctenizidae, it was moved to the armored trapdoor spiders in 1985. The name is derived from the Greek ...
has eight setae between coxae I and II ventrally, 36 setae between coxae II and III and behind coxae III there are about 46 setulose setae. Its coxala Ib is its longest.
The gnathosoma is considered long. Its hypostomalae are nude; the
palpfemur
The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...
shows one setulose seta, the palpgenu two, the palptibia three, and the palptarsus 7, all of them nude.
References
Further reading
*Haitlinger, Ryszard. "First record of Leptus (Leptus) holgeri (Acari: Prostigmata: Erythraeidae) from Vietnam, with redescription of the species." Persian Journal of Acarology 2.3 (2013).
*Haitlinger, Ryszard. "New records of mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Erythraeidae, Johnstonianidae, Microtrombidiidae, Tanaupodidae, Trombidiidae) from Austria, Hungary, Italy and San Marino." Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego we Wrocławiu, Biologia i Hodowla Zwierząt 55.559 (2007): 45–54.
*KAMRAN, MUHAMMAD. Systematics of larval Erythraeidae (Acarina) of Punjab, Pakistan. Diss. DEPARTMENT OF AGRI. ENTOMOLGY FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, FAISALABAD, 2009.
Trombidiformes
Arachnids of Europe
Animals described in 2007
{{Trombidiformes-stub