Feltria (Feltriella) rubra Piersig, 1898

Pešić, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2025, Two new species of the genus Feltria Koenike, 1892, with notes on the water mite fauna of Kyrgyzstan (Acari, Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 5604 (1), pp. 29-40 : 36

Feltria (Feltriella) rubra Piersig, 1898

Material examined — Kyrgyzstan: Ala Archa NP, tributary of Archa River , 42º36.203’ N, 74º28.336’ E, 1877 m asl., 9.viii.2013, leg. Pešić & Smit, 1/1/0; Karakol region , upper part of the stream next to the road to May Saz pass, 42º25.029’ N, 79º02.658’ E, 3346 m asl., 12.viii.2013, leg. Pešić & Smit, 0/1/0; stream next to the road to May Saz pass, 42º25.002’ N, 78º58.097’ E, 2955 m asl., 12.viii.2013, leg. Pešić & Smit, 1/0/0.

Remarks —This species is most frequently recorded from many parts of Europe, but also from China ( Li et al. 2022) and Indian Himalayas ( Pešić & Panesar 2008). While males are clearly defined by the absence of a sexual dimorphism in the male III-L- 6 in combination with stout palps and a large dorsal shield excluding only Dgl-4+Dl-4, the identification of the female can be difficult ( Gerecke 2012). However, the presence of a tiny, rounded Dl-1 lying in the membrane facing the anterolateral edges of the dorsal shield, a character not found in any other species of the genus, allows easy identification of females of this species ( Bader 1977; Gerecke 2012).

Remarks —Europe, Asia Minor, India, China. New for Kyrgyzstan.