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Type: Article
Published: 2025-11-04
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A new species of Torrenticola ungeri complex (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae), and new water mite records for Portugal

Department of Biology, University of Montenegro, Cetinjski put b.b., 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
Acari Montenegro Water mites DNA barcoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) integrative taxonomy systematics

Abstract

A new species belonging to the Torrenticola ungeri complex, T. galaica sp. nov., is described from northwestern Portugal. It differs from other closely related congeners by its roundish idiosoma, distinctive dorsal shield shape and color pattern, and divergent DNA barcode sequences. Additionally, Torrenticola ungeri disparilis Walter, 1947, previously synonymized with T. ungeri ungeri (Szalay, 1927), is resurrected as a valid subspecies. New faunistic data from Portugal based on DNA barcoding are presented, with six species recorded for the first time for Portugal.

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How to Cite

Pešić, V., Girão, D., Vergata, C., Silva, L.P.D. & Ferreira, S. (2025) A new species of Torrenticola ungeri complex (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae), and new water mite records for Portugal. Zootaxa, 5717 (1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5717.1.1