A morphometrical study of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) of the genus Carabodes C.L. Koch, 1835 (Carabodidae) using a confocal laser scanning microscope: an alternative approach to quantitative analysis of various features

The importance of topotypic specimens in revisionary studies of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida)

“…Species descriptions and revisions of oribatid mites should comply with certain best practices (Bernini 1979;Bernini and Nannelli 1982;Cancela da Fonseca 1970;Kagainis 2014;Salomone et al 1996Salomone et al , 2003, which may be summarized as follows: 1) Essential and indispensable taxonomic practices: a) availability of a sufficient number of specimens preserved in alcohol b) accurate descriptions accompanied by explanatory drawings c) biogeographical and ecological information 2) Highly desirable taxonomic practices: a) existence and availability of type series b) availability and thorough studies of juvenile stages c) SEM pictures d) molecular analyses e) variability analyses, biometric statistics Although these best practices are important, we believe that they are not sufficient to avoid systematic errors. Because types, cotypes, and syntypes are often damaged or in poor condition, when redescriptions are needed, it may be useful to follow Grandjean's (1936) advice to collect samples from type localities (topotypes).…”

“…Because types, cotypes, and syntypes are often damaged or in poor condition, when redescriptions are needed, it may be useful to follow Grandjean's (1936) advice to collect samples from type localities (topotypes). Appropriate planning of sampling produces a large number of specimens and makes it possible to investigate intraspecific variation (Avanzati et al 2004;Kagainis 2014). Authors are often convinced that oribatid mites have wide distributions, owing to passive dispersal and their great ecological plasticity (Michael 1884).…”

Use of Quantitative Morphological Analysis Combined with a Large Sample Size for Estimating Morphological Variability in a Case Study of Armoured Mite Carabodes subarcticus Trägårdh, 1902 (Acari: Oribatida: Carabodidae) / Carabodes Subarcticus Trägårdh, 1902 (Acari: Oribatida: Carabodidae) Bruòçrèu Taksonomijâ Plaðâk Pielietoto Pazîmju Morfoloìijas Mainîbas Kvantitatîva Un Kvalitatîva Analîze Relatîvi Lielâ Paraugkopâ

“…Populations with geographically separate distribution have rarely been compared in species descriptions or determination keys (Haarlov, 1952;Schubart, 1975;Norton, 1978;Behan-Pelletier, 1993;Murvanidze, 2008;McCullough and Krisper, 2013; see also Table 1). Even those oribatid mites that inhabit geographically and biologically closely related habitats can show high morphological variability (Kagainis, 2014). All aspects mentioned above can complicate the development of a species description.…”

Cecidophyopsis mites harmful to ribes plants, species composition, distribution and association with host plants in Latvia = Janogu gints augiem kaitigo Cecidophyopsis gints pumpurercu sugu sastavs, izplatiba un saistiba ar saimniekaugiem Latvija

“…Aprakstot sugas, C. alpina un C. aurea mērījumiem izmantotas attiecīgi 12 un 24 ērces , kas kopā ir tikai 36 ērces. Literatūrā, attiecībā uz bruņērcēm, ir norādes par morfoloģijas parametru rādītāju būtiskām nobīdēm, ko ietekmē analizēto ērču skaits (Kagainis 2014). Domājams, ka arī maurērču gadījumā mērīto īpatņu skaitam ir nozīme, lai iegūtu precīzāku iespējamo garuma un platuma variāciju diapazonu, tajā skaitā vidējos izmērus, kas dominētu noteiktās populācijās.…”