We evaluated various characters, inclusive of those observable rapidly and intuitionally, as taxonomic criteria for Spinturnix mites. In addition to the form and nature of idiosomal armatures, and chaetotaxy on idiosoma, idiosomal armatures and legs that have been widely used as taxonomic criteria, the topography of proteronotal setae, dorsal scales, ornamentations on the dorsal shield, sternal or stemo-genital shield, and venter of proximal leg segments were proved to be characteristic of a species. As the first step for putting the taxonomy of European species in order, the myoti, acuminata, camificina and psi species groups were defined to show morphological properties characteristic of each species or species group. Known species were relegated to the respective groups as many as possible. Spinturnix orientalis Turk was transferred to Emballonuria gen. n. The new genus was characterized by its 3 pairs of proteronotal setae, hooked spermadactyl, unique patterns of dorsal cuticle and dorsal shield, large tritostemum, anal shield with anal cribrum, relatively short peritreme and peritremal shield not reaching to the venter, short posterior seta of coxa II, and unique leg pattern. Spinturnix helvatiae Deunff, Keller et Aellen was relegated to a subspecies of Spinturnix acuminata (C. L; Koch).
We report a systematic study of the female copulatory tubes of forty species in the genus Anthocoris, most of which are from the Northern Hemisphere. Our results indicate that female copulatory tubes can be used as a reliable character to identify females and analyze phylogenetic relationships in this genus. We propose thirteen species groups based on the copulatory tubes of females, other morphological characters of both sexes, and the previous species groups adopted in the continental faunas.