First collections of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Honduras: descriptions of six new species

First collections of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Honduras indicate a rich fauna. Nineteen species from just three sites yielded six species new to science. New species described and discussed are: Hydrodroma moralesi n. sp., Flabellifrontipoda triscutata n. sp., Monatractides angelae n. sp., Pseudotorrenticola espinasseae n. sp., Atractides jenniferae n. sp. and Recifella cusucoensis n. sp.     

Water mites of the genus Hygrobates Koch, 1837 (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) from Hokkaido,northern Japan

Nine species of Hygrobates (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) from Hokkaido, Japan are described or redescribed from newly collected material and historical specimens. Treated herein are eight species in the subgenus Hygrobates, including one new species, H. bibi sp. nov., as well as H. calliger Piersig, ; H. foreli (Lebert, ); H. japonicus Uchida, ; H. longipalpis (Hermann, ); H. longiporus Thor, ; H. nigromaculatus Lebert, ; and H. sokolowi Thor, . Also treated is H. ezoensis Uchida, in the subgenus Rivobates. A lectotype and paralectotype are designated for H. japonicus Uchida, . Hygrobates (s. str.) heteropalpis Imamura, is synonymized with H. calliger Piersig, . The name H. ezoensis Uchida, is resurrected from synonymy with H. diversiporus Sokolow, . Six species previously known from Hokkaido were collected in the study: H. foreli, H. japonicus, H. longipalpis, H. longiporus, H. diversiporus, and H. ezoensis. New records for both Hokkaido and Japan include H. nigromaculatus and H. sokolowi. A species previously recorded from Hokkaido, H. taniguchii Imamura, , was not found in this study. Three new characters are proposed as useful for the taxonomy of the genus Hygrobates: the ratio of the distance between the P‐4 ventral setae to P‐4 length, the ratio of the length of the longest terminal seta on IV‐L‐5 to the length of IV‐L‐5, and the nature of the outer border of the genital plates.     

Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from South-East Asia,Thailand and Sulawesi Tenggara (Indonesia): descriptions of new species and new records

New species of water mites collected from Sulawesi Tenggara and Thailand are described, four from Buton island: Hygrobates colesi, Mideopsis gillespiei, Koenikea oliveri, Oxus sennettopsis; one from Thailand: Hygrobates henni; and the first recorded male of Harpagopalpus indicus Cook, 1967 Cook, C. D. R, 1967. Water mites from India, Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 9 (1967), pp. 1–411. [Google Scholar]. Hygrobates projectus Wiles, 1990 Wiles, P. R, 1990. "The water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) of North Sulawesi". 1990, in W. J. Knight and J. D. Holloway (eds) Insects and the Rainforests of South East Asia (Wallacea) (London: Chameleon Press), pp.?279–295. [Google Scholar] is described for the first time. Koenikea oliveri is the first recorded Koenikea species found on the Asian side of Wallacea. New records of Mamersa rouxi Walter, 1911 and Africasia cataphracta (Halik, 1930) are given.     

The homology of glands and glandularia in the water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia)

Homologies of the glandularia in the water mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Parasitengona: Hydrachnidia) are discussed. The fundamental 18 pairs of glandularia (sensu Bader, 1982) were never found, epimeroglandularia E1 and E3 being universally absent. E4 was shown to be highly variable in position. Homologies of glandularia are suggested for some major water mite taxa.     

Ptyctimous mites (Acari,Oribatida) from the Ecuador rainforest

Twelve species of ptyctimous mite have been found in new localities in forest litter, in two National Parks of Ecuador: Bombuscaro and Cajanuma. The ptyctimous mite fauna has been shown to differ totally between the two parks. Two new species are described: Euphthiracarus bombuscaroensis sp. nov. and Austrophthiracarus cajanumaensis sp. nov. Three species are reported from Ecuador for the first time. The specimens of two species: Protophthiracarus quasiminisetosus Niedba?a and Illig, 2006 Niedba?a, W. and Illig, J. 2006. New species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Ecuador.. Tropical Zoology, 20(1): 107–122.  [Google Scholar] and Notophthiracarus aculeatus Niedba?a, 1988 found in Ecuador have some morphological characters different from their analogues in the type specimens.     

Water mites from spring- and ground-water habitats in the Sultanate of Oman

Eight species of water mite were collected in 1996 during a biological survey with various sampling techniques by J. H. Stock, J. J. Vermeulen (both Amsterdam) and Abdul M. Al Nofli (Oman) from ground-water habitats of the Sultanate of Oman (Arabian peninsula). All species are recorded for the first time from the Arabian peninsula. Four species, representing the genera Monatractides, Bharatohydracarus (two species), and a genus and subfamily new to science, are described for the first time. The systematic and zoogeographical significance of these new records is discussed.     

Two new and one known marine water mite (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Pontarachnidae) from South-East Africa

Two new species of Litarachna are described, L. marshalli sp. n. from South Africa and L. cawthorni sp. n. from Kenya. The female of L. denhami Lohmann, 1909 is described from S. Africa. The distribution of glands and glandularia is discussed.     

New species of ptyctimous mites (Acari,Oribatida) from Cuba

Five new species of two genera of ptyctimous, soil mites (Acari, Oribatida, Steganacaridae) are described: Protophthiracarus aethes sp. nov., Protophthiracarus pinarensis sp. nov., Protophthiracarus ruseki sp. nov., Notophthiracarus granpiedraensis sp. nov. and Notophthiracarus obturatus sp. nov. The identification key for determination of Protophthiracarus species of Cuba is provided. One of the genera, Notophthiracarus, is newly found in the Antilles. New described species have increased the number of endemic species for Cuba and increased the number of the known species of ptyctimous mites to 47.     

Tydeoid mites (Acari: Tydeidae,Edbakerellidae, Iolinidae) occurring on Citrus in southern Africa

Tydeoids were collected from different southern African localities by beating citrus foliage and branches. Pronematus ubiquitus (McGregor) was the most frequently encountered, followed by Tydeus munsteri Meyer and Ryke. Some species appeared to be restricted to certain climate types, e.g. Parapronematus geminus Meyer and Rodriques being found only in coastal conditions of Mozambique and Triophtydeus immanis Kuznetzov only occurring in the arid lower Orange River Valley. Four new genera (Tetratriophtydeus, Orfareptydeus, Kakamasia, and Lourus) are proposed along with four new species (O. stepheni, K. cataracta, Pseudopronematulus augrabiensis, and L. citricolus). A key is presented and has been created to facilitate the identification of the tydeoids found and to encourage further research on the role of tydeoids in the citrus ecosystem in southern Africa.     

Six new feather mite species (Acari: Astigmata) from the carolina parakeet Conuropsis carolinensis (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae), an extinct parrot of North America

We describe six new feather mite species collected from museum skins of the carolina parakeet Conuropsis carolinensis Linnaeus, 1758, which lived in North America and became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century: Genoprotolichus simplex sp. n., Lopharalichus beckeri sp. n., Neorhytidelasma conuropsis sp. n. (Pterolichidae: Pterolichinae), Chiasmalges carolinensis sp. n. (Psoroptoididae: Pandalurinae), Fainalges gracilitarsus sp. n., and Protonyssus proctorae sp. n. (Xolalgidae: Ingrassiinae). Brief comments on the current systematic state and host associations of these feather mite genera are provided.     

Eustigmaeus mites from Turkey (Acari: Stigmaeidae)

Five new species of the genus Eustigmaeus from Turkey, E. absens, E. erzincanensis, E. erzurumensis, E. fani and E. vacuus, are described and illustrated. Adult male of E. turcicus Do?an and Ayy?ld?z, and deutonymph of E. schusteri (Summers and Price, ) are described for the first time. Several new records are noted.     

New species of Copidognathinae (Acari: Halacaridae) from southern Africa

Three new species of Copidognathinae (Acari: Halacaridae) are described from the eastern coast of southern Africa (Mozambique; South Africa: Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal). Copidognathus caloglossae sp. nov. and Acarothrix umgenica sp. nov. were collected in mangrove habitats, whereas Copidognathus xaixaiensis sp. nov. was collected on a rocky shore. Acarothrix umgenica represents the first record of the genus Acarothrix Bartsch, 1990 from the African continent.     

Two new species of feather mites (Acarina: Psoroptidia) from the blue-throated blue flycatcher,Cyornis rubeculoides (Passeriformes: Muscicapidae)

The paper describes two new species of feather mites collected from the blue-throated blue flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides (Vigors) (Passeriformes: Muscicapidae) in India (Meghalaya): Trouessartia kharkhanensis Constantinescu et al. sp. nov. (Trouessartiidae) and Proterothrix cyornissimilis Constantinescu et al. sp. nov. (Proctophyllodidae: Pterodectinae). Both sexes of T. kharkhanensis differ from the closest species, T. rubecula Jablonska, 1968 by having setae si and c2 lanceolate and setae c3 and sRIII with acute apex. In males of the new species, the adanal apodemes have a hook-like retroverse apophysis and the internal margins of terminal lamellae have a shallow invagination at the level of setae h3. Both sexes of P. cyornissimilis differ from the closest species, P. cyornis Mironov and Tolstenkov, 2013, mainly by the ornamentation of the dorsal shields: it is absent on the prodorsal shield and poorly expressed on the hysteronothal shield. In males of the new species, the supranal concavity is triangular and the genital arch has a pair of small ovoid sclerites at its tips.

http:/zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1671D6D4-8895-467B-A124-05EDBB0DF406     

New species of the superfamily Euphthiracaroidea (Acari: Oribatida) from Madagascar and Tanzania

Five new species of the family Euphthiracaridae are described, identified and figured from the Afrotropical region: Oribotritia breviseta sp. nov. from Andasibe National Park of Madagascar; Acrotritia paraardua sp. nov. from Vohimana Experimental Reserve, Ambohitanely Special Reserve and Andasibe National Park of Madagascar; Acrotritia paradikra sp. nov. from Ranomafana National Park and Ankarafantsika National Park of Masagascar; Microtritia diaphoros sp. nov. from the Nguru Mountains of Tanzania; and Microtritia parahauseri sp. nov from the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania. A comparison with the most closely related species of the genera Oribotritia, Acrotritia and Microtritia is also presented.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7965FE4C-0AF8-49C4-B894-75D4EFD049BB     

New species of Notophthiracarus (Acari: Oribatida: Phthiracaroidea) from Tanzania

Three new species of the genus Notophthiracarus are described, identified and figured from Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania: Notophthiracarus quasiuluguruensis sp. nov, Notophthiracarus tuberculus sp. nov, and Notophthiracarus uluguruensis sp. nov. A comparison with the most closely related species of the genus Notophthiracarus is also presented.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3FBF24E7-3E2D-4686-AD57-EFEA25510BBD     

A new species of Proctophyllodes Robin, 1868 (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) from two tanagers of the genus Piranga Vieillot (Passeriformes: Cardinalidae) from North America

A new feather mite species, Proctophyllodes pirangae sp. n. (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) is described from two tanagers of the genus Piranga Vieillot, 1808 (Passeriformes: Cardinalidae) in North America: the Scarlet Tanager, Piranga olivacea (Gmelin) and the Western Tanager, Piranga ludoviciana (Wilson) (Passeriformes: Cardinalidae) from North America. The new species belongs to the anthi species group and differs from the most similar species, Proctophyllodes polyxenus Atyeo and Braasch, by having in males, the aedeagus and genital sheath extending to or slightly beyond the level of setae g, the anterior margin of the opisthogastric shield shallowly concave, and its posterior margin nearly square-shaped, and the lamellae smaller; in females, both the lobar cleft and the transverse band of soft tegument at level of setae h1 are considerably narrower.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:29B3D157-8114-48EC-AF31-61A99F6D0C3B     

Eustigmaeus floridensis sp. nov., a new mite species of the genus Eustigmaeus Berlese, 1910 (Acari: Stigmaeidae) from citrus in Florida

Eustigmaeus floridensis sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on female specimens collected from citrus trees in Florida, USA. The new species is closely related to Eustigmaeus arcuata, Eustigmaeus segnis and Eustigmaeus microsegnis, all known to occur in Florida. Eustigmaeus floridensis sp. nov. can be distinguished by larger dimples associated with setae sce, d₂ and e₁ containing at least four or more vacuoles centrally; dorsal body setae broadly lanceolate and feather-like, except c₂, which is slender; anogenital area with striae and one pair of serrated aggenital (ag1) and three pairs of serrated pseudanal (ps_1?3) setae. A key to the Eustigmaeus species known to occur across USA is also provided.     

Further new species within the freshwater amphipod genus Paramelita (Crangonyctoidea: Paramelitidae) from South Africa

Four new species within the crangonyctoid amphipod genus Paramelita are described from material collected from small streams in the southwestern Cape, South Africa. Two of the species are large, with robust second antennae which exceed the first in length, especially in adult males. The third species is recognized by its slender pereopods and its densely setose second antennae, and the fourth by its small size and relatively short, slender, unmodified second antennae. All of these species have an unmodified pereopod 3, and lack teeth, spines, ridges or lobes on antenna 2, features common to many of the known Paramelita species. Morphological similarities between the four new species and 19 previously known species of Paramelita are discussed.     

Zerconid mites (Acari: Mesostigamata: Zerconidae) from Croatia with description of four new species

This paper contributes to the knowledge of the family Zerconidae, describing material collected from several locations in Croatia. Seventeen species are listed, four of them (Prozercon martae sp. nov., Zercon danyii sp. nov., Zercon laczii sp. nov. and Zercon lanceolatus sp. nov.) proved to be new to science, a further eight species (Zercon arcuatus Trägårdh, 1931 Trägårdh, I. 1931. Terrestrial Acarina. Zool Faeroes., 2(49): 1–69.  [Google Scholar], Zercon athiasi Vincze, 1965 Vincze, S. 1965. Einige Beiträge zur Zerconiden-Fauna Ungarns. Opusc Zool Inst Zoosyst Univ Budapest., 5(2): 241–246.  [Google Scholar], Zercon berlesei Sellnick, 1958 Sellnick, M. 1958. Die Familie Zerconidae Berlese. Acta Zool Hung., 3: 313–368.  [Google Scholar], Zercon latissimus Sellnick, 1944 Sellnick, M. 1944. Zercon C. L. Koch. Acari, Blätter Milbenk., 5: 30–41.  [Google Scholar], Zercon romagniolus Sellnick, 1944 Sellnick, M. 1944. Zercon C. L. Koch. Acari, Blätter Milbenk., 5: 30–41.  [Google Scholar], Zercon storkani Hala?ková, 1969 Hala?ková, V. 1969. Zerconidae of Czechoslovakia (Acari: Mesostigmata). Acta Univ Carol-Biol., 3–4: 175–352.  [Google Scholar], Zercon tematinensis Ma?án & Fend'a, 2004 Ma?án, P and Fend'a, P. 2004. Zerconid mites of Slovakia (Acari, Mesostigmata, Zerconidae). Bratislava: Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences., : 238 [Google Scholar], Zercon (Zerconella) leitnerae Willmann, 1953 Willmann, C. 1953. Neue Milben aus den östlichen Alpen. Aus den Sitzungsberichten der Österr. Akad Wissensch Math.-naturw. Kl., Abt. I. 162. Bd., 6. Heft. Wien. p., : 449–519.  [Google Scholar]) are recorded for the first time from Croatia.