A new species of Litarachna Walter, 1925 (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Pontarachnidae) from Corozal Bay (Belize), described based upon morphology and DNA barcodes

Lucia Montes-Ortiz (1) , Tom Goldschmidt (2) , Lourdes Vásquez-Yeomans (1) , Manuel Elías-Gutiérrez (1)

1 ECOSUR Unidad Tapachula
2 SNSB - Zoologische Staatssammlung Muenchen

A new planktonic species of the marine water mites of the family Pontarachnidae Koenike, 1910 is described from Corozal Bay, an estuarine system in Belize. The morphological description includes Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) images and is augmented by an analysis of DNA cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequences, the DNA barcode, used for the first time for a species description in this group.

Mots clés: Animalia; Arthropoda; Acari; Aacriformes; Integrative taxonomy; Litarachna belicensis n. sp.; plankton; estuary; Chetumal Bay

Domaines: Zoologie des invertébrés

Lucia Montes-Ortiz, Tom Goldschmidt, Lourdes Vásquez-Yeomans, Manuel Elías-Gutiérrez. A new species of Litarachna Walter, 1925 (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Pontarachnidae) from Corozal Bay (Belize), described based upon morphology and DNA barcodes. Acarologia, 2021, 61 (3), pp.602-613. ⟨10.24349/r7no-Ludg⟩. ⟨hal-03298493⟩