Contribution to the knowledge of Geminoppia (Acari, Oribatida, Oppiidae), with description of a new species from South Africa

A new species of the genus Geminoppia (Oribatida, Oppiidae) is described from moss of Hogsback State Forest, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Geminoppia amatholensis sp. n. differs from its related species Geminoppia maior comb. n. by the absence of discidium and the presence of very long notogastral seta h1. Summarized generic traits, an identification key, distribution and habitats of all known species of Geminoppia are presented.

New faunistical and taxonomic data on oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) of Taiwan

The present study is based on oribatid mite material collected in Taiwan in 2017–2019. A list of identified taxa, including 141 species/subspecies from 88 genera and 47 families is provided; of these, 36 species/subspecies, 13 genera and five families are recorded for the first time in the Taiwan fauna, and eight species and one genus are recorded for the first time in the Oriental region. Two new species are described. Tyrphonothrus nivnu n. sp. (description based on adult) is similar to Tyrphonothrus altissimus (Piffl, 1971), T. cajamarcensis (Hammer, 1961) and T. wallworki (Starý and Block, 1995) in general morphological traits (notogastral ridges developed; tridactylous legs; notogastral setae e2, h1, h2, and p2 long, setiform, with attenuate tip, other setae of medium length, setiform; high number of genital setae; absence of notogastral ornamentation; and comparatively large body size), but differs from these listed species by the barbed notogastral setae and comparatively long notogastral setae c1, c2, c3, and e1. Jacotella puyuma n. sp. (description based on adult and tritonymph) is similar to Jacotella neonominata Subías, 2004 in general morphological traits (centrodorsal notogastral part with two longitudinal ridges, posteriorly fused, each ridge with two lateral transverse branches; absence of notogastral ornamentation; notogastral seta h1 distinctly longer than other notogastral setae), but differs from the latter by the narrowly elongate bothridial head, flagellate notogastral setae h1 and p1, the length of notogastral setae, and the absence of additional longitudinal ridges connected lateral branches of median ridges (in adult); and by the long gastronotic seta h1 similar in length to bothridial seta, seta h2 similar to h3 and lp and seta dm clearly longer than da on larval exuvium (in tritonymph).

Сontribution to the knowledge of Parabelbella (Acari, Oribatida, Damaeidae): description of two new species from Russia and the U.S.A., redescription of P. inaequipes (Banks, 1947) and a key to known species

The genus Parabelbella (Oribatida, Damaeidae), with nine known species, is distributed in the Holarctic and Neotropical regions; of these, two new species from the Russian Far East and the U.S.A. are described on the basis of adult specimens. Parabelbella rusfareastensis sp. nov. differs from Parabelbella crenatosetosa Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1967 by the smaller body size, the absence of propodolateral apophysis, direction of notogastral seta c1, and the mutual distance between notogastral setae c. Parabelbella pseudoinaequipes sp. nov. differs from Parabelbella inaequipes (Banks, 1947) by the presence of distinctly barbed notogastral setae la and lm and sparsely barbed setae c1, c2, lp, h3, shorter and thinner dorsal notogastral setae, anterior median ventral tubercle, and by distance between insertions of seta lm–lp. The redescription of P. inaequipes is presented, based on material from the U.S.A. The main morphological traits for this species are summarized. An identification key to known species of Parabelbella is provided.

A new species of Dicondyla (Acari, Oribatida, Otocepheidae) from China, with discussion on taxonomic status and a key to species of the genus

The taxonomic status of the genus Dicondyla is discussed, and it is removed from the synonymy of Dolicheremaeus. Dicondyla fossalis sp. nov., is described from litter in Yunnan Province of China. It differs from other known species of this genus by the shorter notogastral seta la pressed into a groove on notogastral surface, compared to the other notogastral setae. An identification key to all known species of Dicondyla is given.

A new species of Meristacarus from China, with supplementary description of Mixacarus (Phyllolohmannia) foliifer (Golosova, 1984) (Acari, Oribatida, Lohmanniidae)

A new species of Lohmanniidae, Meristacarus pubescentius sp. nov., is described from soil and leaf litter of Hainan Province, South China. It can be distinguished from all other Meristacarus species by the following characters: anterior exobothridial setae thorn-like, shorter than the interlamellar setae by one-tenth, transverse bands S2–S4, S9, and S10 complete while S5–S8 are interrupted medially. The new species is most similar to M. douhereti Balogh & Balogh, 1983 in having setiform notogastral setae and the median setae shorter than the marginal setae, but differ from M. douhereti by the very short, thorn-like anterior exobothridial seta, heavily ciliated sensillus and notogastral seta e1 half as long as e2. A supplementary description of Mixacarus (Phyllolohmannia) foliifer (Golosova, 1984), a new record to the Chinese fauna, is given from the same locality. Keys to species of Meristacarus and Mixacarus (Phyllolohmannia) are presented.

Intraspecific morphological variation of Scutovertex sculptus Michael (Acari: Oribatida: Scutoverticidae) and description of its juvenile stages

This paper provides a detailed redescription of the adult and the first morphological description of all juvenile stages of Scutovertex sculptus. Specimens from four European countries, Austria, Germany, France and Spain were investigated. The species specific characters are the broadened posterior notogastral setae (lp, h 1 –h 3 ), the slightly broadened anterior notogastral seta (dm), the gastronotic cuticle with irregularly distributed foveae and a thick layer of secretion forming blocs with color dispersive qualities on the posterior half of notogastral region. Minor differences in the shape of notogastral setae and in the thickness of the secreted layer on the posterior gastronotic region were found in specimens from different countries. The investigation of the juveniles of S. sculptus showed that the larva and nymphs can be easily distinguished from those of S. minutus; the lateral setae on tibia I are leaf-shaped in S. sculptus and knife-shaped in S. minutus.