Machuellidae

Dorsal (left) and ventral views of Machuella sp., from Norton & Behan-Pelletier (2009).

Belongs within: Circumdehiscentiae.

The Machuellidae are a group of oppioid oribatid mites in which the epimeral setae form a ventral basket covered by cerotegument.

Characters (from Norton & Behan-Pelletier 2009): Length 150–250 µm. Coxisternal setal formula 2-2-4-5 or up to seventeen pairs of coxisternal setae, coxisternal setae directed medially toward ventrosejugal region, forming a "basket" within a thick layer of cerotegument; anterior margin of epimere I with medial tooth. Distance between genital and anal plates less than length of genital plate.

<==Machuellidae [Machuellinae] S04
    |--Gredosella Gil-Martín, Arillo & Subías 2000 S04
    |    |--*G. fraternalis Gil-Martín, Arillo & Subías 2000 S04
    |    `--G. capitata (Kulijev 1967) [=Machuella capitata] S04
    `--Machuella Hammer 1961 S04
         |--*M. ventrisetosa Hammer 1961 S04
         |    |--M. v. ventrisetosa [incl. M. hellenica Mahunka 1982, M. hippy Niemi & Gordeeva 1991] S04
         |    |--M. v. bilineata Weigmann 1976 S04
         |    |--M. v. plicata Hammer 1979 S04
         |    |--M. v. pyriformis Hammer 1968 S04
         |    |--M. v. robusta Hammer 1971 S04
         |    `--M. v. zehntneri Mahunka 1977 S04
         |--M. draconis Hammer 1961 [incl. M. africana Mahunka 1978] S04
         `--M. lineata Hammer 1973 S04

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

Norton, R. A., & V. M. Behan-Pelletier. 2009. Suborder Oribatida. In: Krantz, G. W., & D. E. Walter (eds) A Manual of Acarology 3rd ed. pp. 430–564. Texas Tech University Press.

[S04] Subías, L. S. 2004. Listado sistemático, sinonímico y biogeográfico de los ácaros oribátidos (Acariformes, Oribatida) del mundo (1758–2002). Graellsia 60 (número extraordinario): 3–305.