A catalogue of cryptognathid mites (Acari: Prostigmata,Cryptognathidae) with the descriptions of a new species of Favognathus Luxton and a newly discovered male of F. amygdalus Doğan and Ayyıldız from Turkey

A new mite species of Favognathus Luxton, F. bafranus sp. nov., and a newly discovered male of F. amygdalus Do?an and Ayy?ld?z from Turkey are described and illustrated. A catalogue including distribution and habitat information of known species of the family Cryptognathidae Oudemans is also provided. Half of the Cryptognathus species are represented in the Nearctic Region and about 47% of the Favognathus species are represented in the Palearctic Region. Moss and litter under plants are prominent habitats for the cryptognathid mites.     

Two new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from the State of São Paulo,Brazil

Two new species of phytoseiid mites, Amblyseius ica and Typhloseiopsis dorsoreticulatus, from the State of São Paulo, Brazil, are described and illustrated. Amblyseius ica belongs to the americanus species group and dombeyus species subgroup, being the second species of that subgroup. Typhloseiopsis dorsoreticulatus is the first species of the genus Typhloseiopsis recorded outside Central America.     

Scutovertex alpinus Willmann, 1953 (Acari: Oribatida: Scutoverticidae) – redescription and geographical distribution

Scutovertex alpinus, a rare species, is redescribed in detail. This species is one of the smaller representatives of the genus with an average body length of 494 μm and a body width of 276 μm. Specific characters are a narrow, short, triangular median ridge between the narrow lamellae, sensillus clavate and spinose, distinct small cuticular foveae distributed over gastronotic region, and 10 pairs of short spiniform notogastral setae. Three pairs of notogastral saccules; a fourth saccule anterior notogastral seta h₃ is developed asymmetrically in many cases. Leg chaetome: I (1-4-3-4-18), II (1-4-3-4-15), III (2-2-1-3-15), IV (1-2-2-3-12). Solenidia: I (1-2-2), II (1-1-2), III (1-1-0), IV (0-1-0). The comparison with several congeneric species points to a close relation to Scutovertex pileatus. Scutovertex alpinus inhabits mosses, cushion plants and tussocks in Alpine regions. The known geographic distribution is limited to Alpine regions of the eastern Alps and to one location in Germany (Harz).     

The life‐cycle of Hemigalichus chrotogale sp. nov. (Acari: Listrophoridae), with comparative observations on listrophorid morphology

A new fur‐mite species, Hemigalichus chrotogale (Acari: Listrophoridae), is described from Chrotogale owstoni (Carnivora: Viverridae) from Vietnam. The external morphology of all instars is described in detail. The precopulatory mate‐guarding behaviour exhibited by H. chrotogale is the first report of this phenomenon in the Listrophoridae. A morphological comparison of all currently recognized listrophorid genera and some early derivative representatives of the family Atopomelidae, which are closely allied to the Listrophoridae, is conducted. The results obtained support the monophyly of Listrophoridae. The family Listrophoridae includes two subfamilies, Listrophorinae, with more than 150 species in 20 genera, and the monobasic Aplodontochirinae, and is characterized by the following synapomorphies: the palps are enveloped by distinct membranes, the prescapular shield covers the gnathosoma, or most of it, dorsally, the clasping organs of coxal fields I are larger than those of coxal fields II, and setae scx, baI–II, pRII, and sIII are absent.     

Hydrozetes longisetosus sp. nov. (Acari: Oribatida: Hydrozetidae) – the most primitive European species of Hydrozetes from Poland

The larva, nymphal stages and adult of Hydrozetes longisetosus sp. nov. are described and illustrated, and the relationship of this species with the other European species of Hydrozetes is investigated. This species was first found at the edge of a forest lake, Dury 3, in the Tuchola Forest (Poland). Subsequently, we studied specimens that had been collected in 1976 by Dr H.M. Engelmann 40 km north of Görlitz Niederspree (Germany). Many adults of this species have three setae of the c‐series, which is rare in Hydrozetes and is considered a primitive character. Most adults have two pairs of p‐series setae, which is not common in Brachypylina and is unique among European Hydrozetes. The nymphal stages have many long setae in the marginal part of the gastronotum (whole l‐ and h‐series and seta p ₁), and some or all long setae of the c‐ and d‐series, which is unique among European Hydrozetes. In H. longisetosus neotrichy occurs in the h‐series, as in H. parisiensis Grandjean, 1948 Grandjean, F. 1948. Sul les Hydrozetes (Acariens) de l'Europe occidentale.. Bull Mus Natl Hist Nat Série 2., 20: 328–335. French [Google Scholar]. Therefore, the former species is closely related to the latter, and also to H. lacustris (Michael, 1882) and H. octosetosus Willmann, 1932 Willmann, C. 1932a. Oribatiden aus dem Moosebruch.. Archiv Hydrobiol., 23: 333–347.  [Google Scholar], which rarely retain all the c‐series setae in the adults.     

Comment on Psonis et al. (2015): ‘Evaluation of the taxonomy of Helix cincta (Muller, 1774) and Helix nucula (Mousson, 1854); insights using mitochondrial DNA sequence data’

A recently published paper on some Helix species from the East Mediterranean basin is briefly reviewed. Parts of the results of the authors of that study are erroneous because they are based on a misinterpretation of some of the taxa involved. An analysis of the actually studied taxa is presented, and the essential consequences for nomenclature and phylogeny are discussed.     

Four new terrestrial species of Marionina (Clitellata,Enchytraeidae) from China and re-examination of M. hoVbaueri Möller

Enchytraeid surveys were made in China, mainly along the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Basin, during the period 1991–1999. Among the findings, four terrestrial species of Marionina are new to science and well illustrate the taxonomic complexity of the genus as currently defined. Marionina sinica sp. n. is characterized by a specific chaetal distribution, the marionine pattern of the dorsal blood vessel, and elongate, fusiform, spermathecal ectal ducts. Marionina sacculata sp. n. is distinguished by the possession of a pair of pouch-like oesophageal appendages in IV, the lack of lateral chaetae in VII–XI, a marionine pattern of the dorsal blood vessel, and short spermathecal ectal ducts gradually expanding into spherical ampullae. Both M. sinica and M. sacculata have minute bodies (2–3 mm long in vivo) and lack spermathecal accessory glands. The former species shows its closest aYnities with the European M. brendae Rota, 1995, whereas the latter is closest to the German M. hoVbaueri Möller, 1971, for which an amended diagnosis is provided. Marionina seminuda sp. n. has only ventral chaetal bundles, distributed from III onwards and bisetose. It is similar to the Holarctic M. subterranea (Knöllner, 1935) in lacking entirely the lateral chaetae and in having the brain incised posteriorly, the dorsal vessel bifurcating behind the pharynx, and coelomocytes containing opaque granules, but diVers from it in having the longest chaetae in preclitellar segments and gland cells distributed all over the spermathecal ectal ducts. Marionina righiana sp. n. is diagnosed by the location of the head pore on the prostomium, the absence of lateral chaetae from VIII (VII or IX) onwards, the possession of free spermathecae extending backwards through one to four segments, the brain deeply incised posteriorly, the lumbricilline pattern of the dorsal blood vessel, and the opacity of coelomocytes in vivo. Prior to this study, members of the genus so atypical as M. righiana with respect to the position of the head pore and the structure of the spermathecae were known only from South American soils. Until the taxonomy of Marionina has been more thoroughly assessed and revised, the assignment of the four species to this large assemblage should be regarded as tentative.     

A new species and the phylogeny of the South American genus Gromphas Brullé, 1837 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Phanaeini)

Gromphas jardim Cupello & Vaz-de-Mello sp. nov. is described from Bolivia and Central Brazil and is endemic to the biogeographic province of Rondônia. It resembles Gromphas amazonica and Gromphas inermis, but is distinguished primarily by the pattern of pronotal granulation and the form of the apical tubercle of male protibiae, which is modified in a tapered spur. Based on 31 morphological characters, a phylogenetic analysis returned a single most parsimonious tree where Gromphas is monophyletic and has the following internal topology: ((G. aeruginosa + G. lemoinei) (G. dichroa (G. inermis (G. amazonica + G. jardim)))).