Allobia Livschits & Mitrofanov, 1971

Mirza, Jawwad Hassan, Elgoni, Nasreldeen Ahmed, Kamran, Muhammad & Alatawi, Fahad Jaber, 2025, Mites of the genus Bryobia (Acari, Tetranychidae): taxonomic notes on some species and a diagnostic key to the world species, ZooKeys 1239, pp. 51-73 : 51-73

Subgenus Allobia Livschits & Mitrofanov, 1971

Type species.

Bryobia pritchardi Rimando, 1962: 9 .

Diagnosis

(based on females). As defined by Mirza et al. (2024).

Key to the 22 species of the subgenus Allobia

Species groups definition is based on Mirza et al. 2024.

Notes on the species of the subgenus Allobia

The subgenus Allobia includes 28 species ( Mirza et al. 2024) although only 22 valid species are included in the key above. Among the remaining six species, five species described by Meyer (1974, 1987) have pad-like true claws on leg I. Mirza et al. (2024) provided a detailed discussion on how this character state contradicts the diagnosis of the Bryobiini tribe. In the present study, the sixth species B. (A.) orycustodia Meyer (in Meyer & Ueckermann, 1989) from the species group pritchardi is also considered among those five species of Meyer in which leg I true claws are also pad-like. These six species were not added to the diagnostic key for the time being as this requires an update of the diagnoses of all tribes of subfamily Bryobiinae based on the shape of leg I true claws.

Species group abbatielloi

There are only two species existing in the species group abbatielloi , B. (A.) abbatielloi ( Smiley & Baker, 1995) and B. (A.) querci Hatzinikolis & Panou, 1997 ( Mirza et al. 2024). The species B. (A.) querci was distinguished by the presence of f 2 setae in line with other dorsocentral setae c 1, d 1, and e 1 ( Hatzinikolis and Panou 1997). This position of seta f 2 is incorrectly described in this species, based on the nomenclature of Lindquist (1985). Hence, the seta f 2 (outer sacral) described by Hatzinikolis and Panou (1997) is actually seta f 1 (inner sacral) and vice versa.

Figures

Figure 2. Position of setae f 1 and relative distances of f 1 – f 1 vs f 2 – f 2 (shown by dashed line) a setae f 1 present centrally in Bryobia (Allobia) abbatielloi (Smiley & Baker, 1995) (redrawn from Smiley and Baker 1995) b setae f 1 present laterally in Bryobia (Allobia) pritchardi Rimando, 1962 (redrawn from Rimando 1962) c setae f 1 present sub laterally in Bryobia (Bryobia) artemisiae Bagdasarian, 1951 (redrawn from Livschits and Mitrofanov 1971).

Figure 3. Development of propodosomal lobes a well developed in Bryobia (Bryobia) praetiosa Koch, 1836 (redrawn from Livschits and Mitrofanov 1971) b absent in Bryobia (Allobia) abbatielloi (Smiley & Baker, 1995) (redrawn from Smiley and Baker 1995) c three lobes with median lobes fused in Bryobia (Bryobia) bakeri (Zaher, Gomaa & El-Enany, 1982) (redrawn from Zaher et al. 1982) d three lobes in which median lobe is weakly developed in Bryobia (Allobia) geyeri Meyer, 1974 (redrawn from Meyer 1974).

Figure 4. Number of tenent hairs on leg I empodium a one pair of tenent hairs in Bryobia (Bryobia) strunkovae Mitrofanov, 1968 (redrawn from Mitrofanov 1968) b more than one pair of tenent hairs in Bryobia (Bryobia) borealis Oudemans, 1930 (redrawn from Mathys 1962).

Figure 5. Shape of peritremes a enlarged, anastomose in Bryobia (Allobia) marcandrei Hatzinikolis & Panou, 1996 (redrawn from Hatzinikolis and Panou 1996) b simple bulb in Bryobia (Allobia) birivularis Meyer, 1989 (redrawn from Meyer and Ueckermann 1989).