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Petralycus

ALYCIDAE Canestrini & Fanzago 1877 (= Pachygnathidae Kramer 1877, Bimichaeliidae Womersley 1944)

Petralycus Grandjean, 1943: 1-59.

Type species: Petralycus unicornis Grandjean, 1943 – Europe

Petralycus longicornis Theron, 1977 – acacia soil in South Africa; Petralycus brevicornis Theron, 1977 – pasture soil in South Africa; Petralycus caryapecaus McDaniel & Bolen; Petralycus celtisacinus McDaniel & Bolen

 

DIAGNOSIS.  Prodorsum with of 2 pairs of trichobothria, posterior pair (si) filiform, anterior pair (ve) globose to capitate; other prodorsal setae reduced to 2-3 pairs of setae ( exp absent; in, se present or absent ); naso produced as spine-like process; eyes usually absent.  Chelicerae chelate-dentate,  each with 0-1 seta; rutella with teeth and usually a spine.  Opisthosoma hypertrichous or holotrichous; 3 pairs of genital papillae.

 

 

REMARKS.  Members of the genus Petralycus are distinctive because of their acuminate, tubercle-like naso and the capitate form of the anterior pair of bothridial sensilla (ve).  Species of Bimichaelia also have a capitate sensillum, but it is the posterior pair (si), and they lack a naso, but retain the median eye.

 

References

Grandjean F.  1942.  Queques genres d’Acariens appartenant au groupe des Endeostigmata, 2e Série. Première partie.  Ann. Sci. nat. Zool. 11e sér 4:85-135.

Grandjean F.  1943.  Queques genres d’Acariens appartenant au groupe des Endeostigmata, 2e Série . Deuxiérme partie.  Ann. Sci. nat. Zool. 11e sér 5:1-59.

Theron PD.  1977.  New species of the genus Petralycus Grandjean (Acari: Endeostigmata) from South Africa.  Acarologia 19: 38-45.