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.     

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     

Phthiracarus species (Acari: Oribatida: Phthiracaridae) from New Zealand,with description of a new species,redescription of Phthiracarus pellucidus and a key to 19 described species from the Australian Region

The genus Phthiracarus (Acari: Oribatida: Phthiracaridae) was represented in New Zealand only by two species prior to this work. In this paper, Phthiracarus minutus sp. nov. is described and Phthiracarus pellucidus is redescribed. Phthiracarus perlucidus Niedba?a, 1994 is probably a junior synonym of Phthiracarus insularis Jacot, 1935. A key to all known species of Phthiracarus from the Australian Region is also provided to facilitate identification.     

A new feather mite genus of the family Psoroptoididae (Acari: Analgoidea) from cassowaries

A new feather mite genus Hexacaudalges gen. n. (Psoroptoididae: Psoroptoidinae) is established based on the type species Megninia casuaricola Proctor, 2001 Proctor, H. C. 2001. Megninia casuaricola sp. n. (Acari: Analgidae), the first feather mite from a cassowary (Aves: Struthioniformes: Casuariidae).. Australian Journal of Entomology, 40: 335–341. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], which was originally described from the southern cassowary Casuarius casuarius (Struthioniformes: Casuariidae). Morphological peculiarities of this genus, its taxonomic position within the family Psoroptoididae and possible origin are discussed. We also present a clarification of setal nomenclature for this family of mites.     

New troglobitic species of the genus Troglocheles (Acari: Prostigmata: Rhagidiidae) from caves in northern Italy and Austria,with a key to adult species of the genus

Three new troglobitic species of rhagidiid mites of the genus Troglocheles – two from northern Italy, Troglocheles quinquesolenidiata sp. nov. and T. lanai sp. nov., and T. christiani sp. nov. from Austria – are described. A key to adults of the known species of the genus Troglocheles Zacharda of the world is given. In these vicariant species the different apomorphic morphological traits, troglomorphisms, are discussed in aspects of allopatric speciation, climatic relict hypothesis and evolutionary processes of adaptation to specific niches and time of occupation of the subterranean habitat. All new taxa are authored by M. Zacharda only.     

A new species of Ameroseius Berlese from Brazil,redescriptions of Ameroseius plumosus (Oudemans) and Ameroseius plumigera (Oudemans) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Ameroseiidae) based on the examination of type material

Ameroseius Berlese is the most numerous genus of family Ameroseiidae Evans (in Hughes 1961). Species of this genus have been reported from many regions around the world. A few species of this genus are known from Brazil. Ameroseius mineiro Narita, Bernardi and Moraes, sp. nov. is described based on the morphology of adult females and males collected from guano in caves of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This is the second Ameroseius species described from Brazil. The holotypes of Ameroseius plumosus (Oudemans) and Ameroseius plumigera (Oudemans) were examined, given their close similarity with the species described in this paper, and they are here redescribed. A key is provided to separate these and other most similar species. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:17A7D831-EC49-4D65-B06B-5E13EF52C696     

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.     

Two zoogeographically remarkable mite species from Finland (Acari,Oribatida, Oribotritiidae)

Species of the genus Mesothuria (fam. Synallactidae) occurring in the Atlantic Ocean are revised. The genus includes 25 valid species, nine of them known from the Atlantic. The new species Mesothuria milleri sp. nov. is described from the north-east Atlantic. It is argued that the genus Zygothuria, established by Perrier in 1898 and recognized later only by Deichmann, should be maintained as a separate genus. Mesothuria and Zygothuria differ in body form, arrangement of ambulacral appendages, and structure of segments of calcareous ring and ossicles from the body wall. The six known species of Zygothuria are reviewed. Zygothuria oxysclera, a former variation of Zygothuria lactea, is proposed as a valid species. Identification keys to species of the genus Zygothuria and Atlantic species of the genus Mesothuria are provided. Data on the life history and reproductive biology of Mesothuria milleri and Zygothuria lactea are given. Both species are common in the north-east Atlantic.     

Two new species of Prozercon (Plumatozercon) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Zerconidae) from Turkey

Two new species of zerconid mites, Prozercon (Plumatozercon) orhani and P.(P.) kamili, from Turkey are described and illustrated.     

First record of the genus Paragigagnathus Amitai and Grinberg, 1971 (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) from Saudi Arabia with description of a new species

The genus Paragigagnathus Amitai and Grinberg (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is reported for the first time from Saudi Arabia. Paragigagnathus desertorum (Amitai and Swirski) and P. insuetus (Livshitz and Kuznetsov) were collected from Acacia sp. (Fabaceae) and Tamarix sp. (Tamaricaceae), respectively. Paragigagnathus madinaensis n. sp. is described and illustrated. The new species was found on Tamarix sp. in association with Obdulia daadi Al-Gboory (Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae) from Al-Riyadh and Al-Madina regions of Saudi Arabia.     

A new unique species of Mucroseius Lindquist, 1962 (Acari: Mesostigmata: Melicharidae) mites associated with sawyer beetles (Cerambycidae: Monochamus Dejean, 1821) from the Palaearctic Region

Adult females of a new species, Mucroseius insolitus sp. nov., are described from the metathoracic spiracular atria of the Black pine sawyer beetle Monochamus galloprovincialis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Asian Russia (Altai Republic and Tyumen Province). The new species differs from all congeners by the absence of the otherwise autapomorphic distal flangelike process (mucro) of the fixed chela. The genus Mucroseius is recorded for the first time in Russia, and its generic concept is reviewed.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AB3BDB6A-63C3-4970-A192-A3C539C48BA1     

Three new species of Gamasiphis (Acari: Mesostigmata: Ologamasidae) from Brazil,with complementary information about Gamasiphis plenosetosus Karg and a key to the world species of the genus

Gamasiphis Berlese is one of the most diverse genera of Ologamasidae, with 68 described species, corresponding to about 15% of the species of the family. Until now, a single species of this genus was known from Brazil. Gamasiphis salvadori sp. nov., Gamasiphis flechtmanni sp. nov. and Gamasiphis edmilsoni sp. nov. are described based on the morphology of adult females and males collected from litter and soil in Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil. The holotype of Gamasiphis plenosetosus Karg, 1994 was examined, given its close similarity with the latter species, and complementary morphological information about it is provided. A key for the separation of females of the 60 recognizable world species of Gamasiphis is provided.     

Five new Uropodina species from New Caledonia (Acari: Mesostigmata)

Five new species – Deraiophorus pinesensis sp. nov., Oplitis hallidayi sp. nov., Castriidinychus neocaledonicus sp. nov., Trigonuropoda neocaledonica sp. nov. and Trigonuropoda fendai sp. nov. – are described and illustrated on the basis of specimens collected in New Caledonia. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2F6876E3-948B-4EDC-93EF-4623033BD71E     

Two new species of the genus Premicrodispus (Acari: Microdispidae) associated with beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae: Tenebrionidae), with a key to Palaearctic species of the genus

Two new species of mites of the genus Premicrodispus Cross, 1965 (Acari: Microdispidae) are described and illustrated from northern Iran: Premicrodispus paramaevi Hosseininaveh and Hajiqanbar sp. nov. recovered from Lucanus ibericus (Col.: Lucanidae) and Premicrodispus spinosus Hosseininaveh and Hajiqanbar sp. nov. from Corticeus unicolor (Col.: Tenebrionidae). It is the first phoretic record of the microdispid mites on beetles of the family Tenebrionidae. A key to Palaearctic species of the genus Premicrodispus is provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:49368637-B8D0-4697-9184-28B33B89962A     

A new species of the genus Liopeltis Fitzinger, 1843 from Vietnam (Squamata: Colubridae)

ABSTRACT

A new species of Liopeltis from central Vietnam is described based on morphological and molecular differences. Liopeltis pallidonuchalis sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: one single (or missing) loreal; one single nasal shield; dorsal scales in 15–15-15 rows, all smooth; 1 preocular, 2 postoculars and 1 + 2 temporals; 7 supralabials, of which 3^rd and 4^th in contact with the eye; 8 infralabials; nasal contacting internasal; prefrontal touching or separated from supralabials; ventral scales 126–138; subcaudal scales 67–73, paired; relative tail length about 0.274–0.301; an uniform bronze body colouration; a thin postocular stripe extending from eye to end of the neck becoming indistinct posteriorly. The new species differs from the morphologically closest species Liopeltis frenata by the lower number of ventrals and subcaudals, by characteristic colouration and significant divergence in cytochrome b mtDNA gene sequences (p = 15.3–15.6%). The new species is currently known from northen and central parts of the Annamite (Truong Son) Mountains, central Vietnam, and was recorded from montane evergreen tropical forests of Kon Tum–Gia Lai Plateau (Gia Lai and Thua Thien–Hue provinces, Da Nang City) at elevations of 950–1010 m asl to karst tropical forests in Quang Binh Province in the north at elevation 150 asl. We suggest the new species should be considered as Vulnerable (VU) following the IUCN’s Red List categories. An updated taxonomic key to the Liopeltis species is provided.     

Some new species of the family Zerconidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Turkey

Three new species of zerconid mites, Prozercon (Prozercon) mersinensis, P. (Prozercon) yavuzi and P. (Prozercon) kafkasoricus, from Turkey are described and illustrated, and a key to adults of known species of Prozercon provided.