Morphology, distribution and ecology ofEupelops curtipilusandEupelops plicatus(Acari, Oribatida, Phenopelopidae)

Abstract

In this study, the morphology, distribution and ecology of Eupelops curtipilus (Berlese, 1916) and E. plicatus (C. L. Koch, 1835) are investigated and morphological characters of Eupelops Ewing, 1917 are discussed. The juveniles of these species have plicate integument and a dorsoventrally flattened hysterosoma, with short and thin setae c 1 , c 3 and of d-series on the gastronotum, which is typical of Phenopelopidae, whereas the length of marginal gastronotal setae differs in these species. Eupelops curtipilus has these setae short, except for a long and thick posterior seta h 1 in the larva and h 3 in the nymphs, whereas Eupelops plicatus has them longer and thicker, especially setae lp and h 1 in the larva and h 3 in the nymphs. The adults of E. curtipilus and E. plicatus have long, phylliform seta in, 10 pairs of notogastral setae, including three pairs of p-series, and three pairs of adanal setae, which are typical of Eupelops, but differ by the length and location of some notogastral setae. Eupelops curtipilus has all these setae short, including h 1 , whereas E. plicatus has them longer, especially h 1 . The former species has setae lp and h 3 inserted close to each other, with porose area A1 between them, whereas the latter species has setae lp and h 3 separated and A1 at the insertion of seta lp. The adults of both species have ventrodistal apophysis on genu I, which may have generic value. The juveniles and adult of E. plicatus have more long and thick setae on the leg segments than those of E. curtipilus. Eupelops curtipilus is considered a Palaearctic species, whereas E. plicatus is Holarctic.

Morphological and ecological differentiation of Eupelops and Propelops (Acari, Oribatida, Phenopelopidae)

“…Norton and Behan-Pelletier (1986) compared in detail the morphology of juvenile stages and adults of Propelops and other genera of Phenopelopidae and found nine similarities between these taxa, and two of them concerned the juveniles; the juveniles of Propelops have a flattened, carinate opisthosoma, and ventral tuberculate integument at least anterior to or around the genital opening. In addition, we can add short and thin setae c 1 , c 3 and of d-series on the gastronotum that occur in all juveniles of Phenopelopidae (Seniczak and Słojewska 1987;Seniczak 1988;Seniczak et al 2014aSeniczak et al , 2015. The ventral tuberculate integument around the genital opening occurs in many species, but is lacking in Eupelops hirtus (Seniczak et al 2014a).…”

“…We compare the morphology of Eupelops and Propelops using E. strenzkei and P. canadensis investigated here, and Eupelops species with the pattern of notogastral setae of adults similar to that of P. canadensis, and known morphological ontogeny, namely E. curtipilus investigated by Seniczak et al (2015) and species listed by Norton and Ermilov (2014) -E. torulosus and E. occultus investigated by Seniczak (1988). These species differ from each other by the following more important morphological characters:…”

“…(4) Eupelops occultus (C. L. Koch, 1835): van der Hammen (1952) described and illustrated a nymph of this species and Haarløv (1957) illustrated a nymph, and Seniczak (1988) described the ontogeny of this species and illustrated all its juvenile instars. (5) Eupelops plicatus (C. L. Koch, 1835): Koch (1835) and Michael (1884) described and illustrated a nymph of this species, van der Hammen (1952) described and illustrated the tritonymph and Seniczak et al (2015) described the ontogeny of this species and illustrated the larva, tritonymph, adult and legs of the two latter instars. (6) Eupelops subuliger (Berlese, 1916): Seniczak and Słojewska (1987) described the ontogeny of this species and illustrated the larva and tritonymph.…”

“…(2) Eupelops curtipilus (Berlese, 1916): Seniczak et al (2015) described the ontogeny of this species and illustrated the larva, tritonymph, adult and legs of the two latter instars. (3) Eupelops hirtus (Berlese, 1916): Seniczak et al (2014a) described the ontogeny of this species and illustrated the larva, tritonymph, adult and legs of the two latter instars.…”

“…According to Norton and Ermilov (2014) and Seniczak et al (2014aSeniczak et al ( , 2015, the full ontogeny of seven species of Eupelops is known, namely:…”