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Proterorhagia

PROTERORHAGIIDAE Lindquist & Palacios-Vargas, 1991 – 1 genus, 1 sp.

Proterorhagia Lindquist & Palacios-Vargas, 1991

Type species: Proterorhagia oztotloica Lindquist & Palacios-Vargas

DIAGNOSIS.  Chelicerae massive, 1/3^rd length of idiosoma, and chelate-serrulate; subcapitulum with elongate labium; rutella vestigial; palps with 5 free segments.  Prodorsum with two pairs of trichobothria (bo capitate, le setiform), 4 pairs of setae, and remnant of median eye; lateral eyes absent; naso absent.  Opisthosoma with 16 pairs of dorso-lateral setae (c1-4, d1-2, e1-2, f1-2, h1-3, ps1-3); 3 pairs of genital papillae.  All pretarsi with paired claws and claw-like empodium.

REMARKS.  A unique mite in every respect, including its being described from a single specimen from a mine shaft in Mexico.  Although they somewhat resemble strange Rhagidiidae, there are no obviously synapomorphies (see Table 2) linking the mite to the Prostigmata.  An undescribed species is known from the US.

References

Lindquist EE, Palacios-Vargas JG.  1991.  Proterorhagiidae (Acari: Endeostigmata), a new family of rhagidiid-like mites from Mexico.  Acarologia 32(4): 341-363.