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.     

Snout mites from caves in Brazil,with description of a new species (Acari: Trombidiformes: Bdellidae)

In this paper we describe the first species of the genus Cyta from Brazil, Cyta troglodyta sp. nov., with a key to the world species of the genus. New records of mites of the family Bdellidae are reported from caves in Brazil.     

Deep-sea halacarids (Acari) and description of a new species

The number of halacarid genera and the approximate number of species in deep and shallow waters are listed, together with the halacarid species recorded from depths of over 1000 m. The vertical and horizontal distribution of genera are discussed, as well as morphological adaptions to life in the abyss. Eurybathic species are rare, and endemic deep-sea genera presumably do not exist. Algibiont and arenicolous genera have not been found in the abyss. Striking morphological features such as long legs, epimeral and anal protuberances, and dense coatings with cuticular filaments are independent of water depth and hydrostatic pressure, but correlate with life in very soft sediments. The deep-sea species, Lohmannella cygna nov. spec., is described.     

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.     

Notes on the family Macrodinychidae (Acari: Uropodina) with description of two new species

The published records of the already known Macrodinychid species are summarized and a key to the known species of the family is given. New records of the different Macrodinychus species are presented from Saint Lucia, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Costa Rica, Suriname, Fiji, New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Thailand. Two new species (Macrodinychus malayicus sp. nov. and Macrodinychus extremicus sp. nov.) are described and illustrated. The species Macrodinychus paraguayensis Hirschmann, 1975 is proved to be the junior synonym of Macrodinychus parallelepipedus (Berlese, 1916 Berlese, A. 1916. Centuria seconda di Acari nuovi. Redia., 12: 125–177.  [Google Scholar]).     

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.     

New species of cryptognathid mites from Israel (Acari: Prostigmata: Cryptognathidae)

Favognathus gersoni n. sp. (from mosses), Favognathus cordylus n. sp. (from pine litter), and Cryptognathus attenuatus n. sp. (from tree bark) are described from Israel.     

Depressorotunda gen. nov., a new remarkable Uropodina mite genus from South-East Asia with description of four new species (Acari: Mesostigmata)

A new genus Depressorotunda gen. nov. and four new species are described from South-East Asia, namely Depressorotunda malayana sp. nov. and Depressorotunda seticaudata sp. nov. from Malaysia, Depressorotunda thailandica sp. nov. from Thailand and Depressorotunda mirifica sp. nov. from Vietnam. A key to the species of the genus Depressorotunda is provided with 28 original drawings and scanning micrographs.     

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.     

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.     

Reef and coral communities of Oman,with a description of a new coral species (Order Scleractinia,genus Acanthastrea)

The coastline of Oman extends 2000 km from 16.5°N to 26.5°N in the north-west Indian Ocean. Most of it is long, exposed sandy beach or mixed sand and shallow rocky areas subject to severe scour, and there is a seasonal, cold-water upwelling whose influence increases towards the equator. Three areas of the mainland support corals, separated by long stretches of shallow sandy or muddy sublittoral. Three categories of coral or reef development are recognized: (A) coral reefs develop with characteristic profiles of reef flat and reef slope; (B) corals provide framework but there is no reef growth and no characteristic reef profile; and (C) no true reef development occurs, but mixed coral/phaeophyte communities are attached directly on to old, often non-limestone substrate. A and B are common in the north and central regions but are rare in the south. Type C is found in the centre and especially the south where the poor reef development is more typical of marginal, high-latitude coral areas. Ninety-one coral species from 47 genera were recorded (77 species from 37 genera being zooxanthellate), although diversity declines towards the equator. Regional comparisons show the Oman fauna to be fairly similar (up to 63% similariy) to that of the Arabian Gulf, but relatively dissimilar to faunas of the Gulf of Kutch (20%) and Lakshadweep (35%), the only other areas known to have significant amounts of corals in the Arabian Sea. A new species of Acanthanstrea with calices 5–8 cm wide is described.     

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.     

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     

The species of Symplocodes Hebard (Blattodea: Ectobiidae: Blattellinae) with description of a new species from China

This paper provides a generic diagnosis, a species list and taxonomy for the genus Symplocodes Hebard, 1929. The new species Symplocodes euryloba sp. nov. from China is described and illustrated. Symplocodes tsaii Bey-Bienko, 1958 is regarded as a subspecies of Symplocodes marmorata (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893), i.e. S. marmorata tsaii comb. nov., and its differences from S. marmorata marmorata (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893) are discussed. Two known species, Symplocodes ridleyi (Shelford, 1912) and Symplocodes manubria Feng et Guo, 1990, are redescribed and illustrated, whereas one new specific synonym, i.e. Symplocodes brachialis, is proposed. A key to species worldwide is provided. The tarsal claws of these four species as well as one species of Chorisoserrata Roth, 1998 are examined and photographed to compare the intergeneric differentiation of claw specialization and to discuss its function.     

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.     

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.     

A new genus and species of Nematalycidae (Acari: Endeostigmata)

Osperalycus tenerphagus, a new genus and species of Nematalycidae (Acari: Endeostigmata), is described from Ohio, USA, using light microscopy and low-temperature scanning electron microscopy. Specimens were extracted from two different loam soils. This genus can be readily distinguished from the other genera of Nematalycidae by the simple setae that line the opisthosoma. The mouthparts are especially distinct in possessing three-segmented palps, an unusual vessel-shaped structure, and rutella that overlap at the midline. The discovery of rutella in this genus and in two other genera indicates that the Nematalycidae can be more confidently assigned to the Endeostigmata (Sarcoptiformes).

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A64A6612-B66C-4814-80A9-3856DEBE8C46