NEW FAUNISTICAL AND TAXONOMIC DATA ON ORIBATID MITES (ACARI, ORIBATIDA) FROM THE AFROTROPICAL REGION

The present study is based on oribatid mite materials collected in Ghana and Mozambique. A list of identified taxa, including 13 species from 12 genera and nine families, is provided. Of these, nine species, five genera and two families are recorded for the first time in the fauna of the above countries. One new species—Zetorchella ghanaensis sp. n. (Caloppiidae)—is described.

NEW FAUNISTICAL DATA ON ORIBATID MITES OF THE FAMILY DAMAEIDAE (ACARI, ORIBATIDA) FROM THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

The present study is based on a random set of previously unstudied oribatid mites of the family Damaeidae, which were collected from the Russian Far East in 1987–2019. Based on the above material, we have identified 22 species and 12 genera from 28 localities. Of these, the genus Weigmannia and the species Epidamaeus craigheadi and Weigmannia parki have been recorded from the Palaearctic region for the first time. In addition, the genera Acanthobelba and Dyobelba, as well as the species Acanthobelba heterosetosa, Dyobelba biclavata, Damaeus maximus, D. striatus, and Epidamaeus variabilis, have been recorded from Russia (Far East) for the first time. The species Epidamaeus puritanicus has the highest occurrence across different biotopes.

TWO NEW SPECIES OF THE FEATHER MITE GENUS TROUESSARTIA (ACARIFORMES: TROUESSARTIIDAE) FROM ROBINS AND CHATS (PASSERIFORMES: MUSCICAPIDAE) IN THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

Two new species of the feather mite genus Trouessartia (Analgoidea: Trouessartiidae) are described from passerine birds in Primorsky Krai (Russian Far East): Trouessartia calliope sp. n. from the Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope (Linnaeus) and T. larvivorae sp. n. from the Rufous-tailed Robin Larvivora sibilans (Swinhoe) (Passeriformes: Muscicapidae: Saxicolinae). Both new species are close to T. swidwiensis Jablonska, 1968 associated with nightingales of the genus Luscinia (Linnaeus) (Muscicapidae) in having the prohysteronotal and lobar parts of the hysteronotal shield not separated in males and in having setae h1 situated on large ovate non-sclerotized areas and in the absence of the external copulatory tube in females.

REDESCRIPTION OF EREMOBELBA GRACILIOR BERLESE, 1908 (ACARI, ORIBATIDA, EREMOBELBIDAE)

The redescription of Eremobelba gracilior Berlese, 1908 (Oribatida, Eremobelbidae) is presented, based on the material colleсted in Washington D. C. and Columbia, Missouri (USA). Main morphological traits of this species are summarized.

WATER MITE SPECIES OF THE GENUS PROTZIA PIERSIG, 1896 (ACARI, HYDRACHNIDIA, HYDRYPHANTIDAE) OF RUSSIA

This study presents a detailed taxonomic review of water mites of the genus Protzia Piersig, 1896 (Acari, Hydryphantidae) found in Russia. In particular, the illustrations and descriptions of six Protzia species are provided: P. buryatica sp. n., P. caucasica (Sokolow, 1927), P. eximia (Protz, 1896), P. primoryensis sp. n., P. rotunda Walter, 1908) and P. uralensis sp. n.

TWO NEW SPECIES AND A NEW RECORD OF SPATULAPHORUS (ACARI: PYGMEPHORIDAE) PHORETIC ON SCARAB BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE) FROM FRENCH GUIANA

Two new species, Spatulaphorus dignus sp. n. and S. porosus sp. n. (Acari: Pygmephoridae), collected from scarab beetles Oxysternon durantoni and Coprophanaeus jasius, respectively, are described from French Guiana. Spatulaphorus brasiliensis Khaustov and Frolov, collected from the beetle Dichotomius borreus, is recorded from French Guiana for the first time. A key to the world species of the genus Spatulaphorus is also provided.

TAXONOMIC CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ORIBATID MITE GENUS NEORIBATES (ACARI, ORIBATIDA, PARAKALUMMIDAE)

A new oribatid mite species of the genus Neoribates (Oribatida, Parakalummidae) is described from Bolivia. A new generic diagnosis and an identification key to the known species of the aforementioned genus from the Neotropical region are provided.

NEW SPECIES AND OCCURRENCES OF UROPODINA MITES (MESOSTIGMATA) FROM BRAZILIAN CAVES

A new species belonging to the genus Uroseius Berlese, 1888 (Trachytidae, Mesostigmata) is described based on the morphological characters of three females and one male collected from caves in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The new species differs from other Neotropical species in having two shapes of idiosomatic ventral and dorsal setae, a character shared with Palearctic species. New occurrences of Oplitis apicalis Lopes, Oliveira, Delabie and Klompen, 2015 are also reported.

MICROTROMBICULA PELTIFERA, A NEW SUBSTITUTE NAME FOR M. MICROSCUTA STEKOLNIKOV, AL-GHAMDI, ALAGAILI AND MAKEPEACE, 2019 (ACARIFORMES, TROMBICULIDAE)

Microtrombicula peltifera nom. n. is proposed as a new substitute name to replace M. microscuta Stekolnikov, Al-Ghamdi, Alagaili and Makepeace, 2019, which was found to be a junior homonym of M. microscuta Zhao, Liang and Qu, 1989. Morphological differences between M. peltifera and M. microscuta are given.

ADDITIONS TO THE ORIBATID MITE FAUNA (ACARI, ORIBATIDA) OF ETHIOPIA, WITH REMARKS ON SOME SPECIES OF GALUMNIDAE

This study is based on the oribatid mite material collected in Ethiopia in 2020. A list of identified taxa, including 38 species from 29 genera and 20 families, is provided. Of these, six species are recorded for the first time in the Afrotropical region, and five species are recorded for the first time in Ethiopia. Supplementary descriptions and illustrations, as well as taxonomic data on two species of the family Galumnidae (Galumna lanceosensilla Ermilov, Sidorchuk and Rybalov, 2011 and Taeniogalumna behanae Ermilov, Sidorchuk and Rybalov, 2010) are presented.