Torrenticola ( Torrenticola ) ungeri (Szalay, 1927)

Torrenticola ( Torrenticola) ungeri (Szalay, 1927)

Material examined: “ T. ungeri ungeri “ Serbia, Zlatibor, Crni Rzav stream near Vodice , 43.6559°N, 19.704°E, 22 Jul. 2021, leg. Pešić 1♂ (DNA barcoded; SEPTA051-21 ) GoogleMaps , dissected and slide mounted (voucher Id : CCDB 38363 View Materials E03; RMNH). “ T. ungeri ungeri “ Montenegro, Bar, Vruća rijeka stream, 42.0852°N, 19.1382°E, 26 Jul. 2015, leg. Pešić, 1♀ (DNA barcoded; HYDMN213-24 ) GoogleMaps dissected and slide mounted (voucher Id: K69_21; RMNH) . “ T. ungeri disparilis “ Montenegro, Tuzi, Cijevna river , 42.4067°N, 19.4364°E, 26 Jun. 2023, leg. Zawal & Pešić, 1♀ (juven.) (DNA barcoded; HYDMN410-24 ) GoogleMaps dissected and slide mounted (voucher Id: K73_27; RMNH) .

Remarks: The water mite Torrenticola ungeri (Szalay, 1927) includes two subspecies: T. ungeri ungeri (Szalay, 1927) , originally described from Hungary, and T. ungeri disparilis ( Walter, 1947) , a subspecies described based on a single male collected from interstitial waters of a stream in Romania ( Walter 1947). Later on, K.O. Viets (1958) placed the latter subspecies into synonymy with the nominal subspecies. According to Lundblad (1956), and followed by Szalay (1964), P-3 of the nominal subspecies lacks fine serration on the ventral margin, while the ventral margin of P-4 bears fine serration in addition with 2–4 ventral tubercles. In contrast, in T. ungeri disparilis , the ventral margin of P-3 shows fine serrations similar to those of P-4, although these are less conspicuous (see Walter 1947).

In our molecular study, two well-supported clades were recovered among specimens identified as T. ungeri , corresponding to Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) BOLD:AED2307 and BOLD:AFD1056. Re-examination of specimens assigned to BOLD:AED2307 showed that their palp morphology (ventral margin of P-3 lacking fine serrations; ventral margin of P- 4 in addition to fine serration with 2–4 ventral tubercles; Fig. 1A) matches the description of T. ungeri ungeri . In contrast, a single juvenile female from BOLD:AFD1056 exhibited palp characteristics consistent with T. ungeri disparilis , with both P-3 and P-4 bearing fine serrations, and P-4 additionally bearing 6–7 small ventral tubercles ( Fig. 1B). The COI genetic divergence between these clades was estimated at 6.14% (K2P), indicating clear genetic separation. Therefore, we propose the resurrection of Torrenticola ungeri disparilis as a valid subspecies, distinct from the nominal T. ungeri ungeri .

Note: Based on palp morphology—with both P-3 and P-4 bearing fine serrations, and P-4 additionally bearing 6–7 small ventral tubercles—the male specimen from the Mrtvica stream in Montenegro, illustrated by Pešić et al. (2019; figs. 3A–B), should be assigned to T. ungeri disparilis .