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On the presence of the family Torrenticolidae Piersig (Acari, Hydrachnidia) in interstitial waters of Sicily (South Italy) : description of a new species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2009

A. Di Sabatino
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, University of L'Aquila. Via Vetoio 20 Coppito, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy. 12 th contribution to the knowledge of the water mites of the Apennines
B. Cicolani
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, University of L'Aquila. Via Vetoio 20 Coppito, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy. 12 th contribution to the knowledge of the water mites of the Apennines
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Abstract

Eleven species of the water mite family Torrenticolidae Piersig are reported from interstitial waters of Sicily. The male, female and deutonymph of Torrenticola hyporheica n.sp. are described. The morphological traits of the new species suggest adaptation to life in groundwaters and indicate affinities with other hyporheobiont species of the genus such as T. ramigera Szalay and T. jeanneli Motas & Orghidan. The high number of Torrenticolid-species found in interstitial habitats may be related to the adaptive morphological features of members of this family and more directly to hydrogeological conditions on the island. Torrenticola lativalvata, Torrenticola hyporheica and Torrenticola trinacriae were the most abundant species collected. Marked differences between the distributions of species of the family in Sicily and Corsica are pointed out.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Gauthier-Villars, 1993

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