Phylogeny and character evolution of the marine mite genus Isobactrus (Acari: Halacaridae)

A morphology-based phylogenetic analysis of the 24 species of Isobactrus (Acari: Halacaridae) demonstrated three major monophyletic groups supported by synapomorphies. Each group is geographically distinct being tropical Pacific, North Atlantic and Holarctic. Character optimization indicates some evolutionary tendencies of character transformation. Reduction of idiosomal lateral setation, loss of setae on the genu and the addition of female subgenital setae are postulated synapomorphies congruent throughout the tropical lineage. Similarly, setal addition on the telofemur occurred in the North Atlantic lineage, while reduction of genital area sclerotization is recognized in a northern phyletic group.     

Thalassarachna and Halacarellus (Halacaridae: Acari): two separate genera

During the last half century, the generic names Halacarellus and Thalassarachna have been used in parallel. The author now proposes to regard them as two separate genera distinguished by the number of dorsal setae on tarsi I and II. Halacarellus s. str., with Halacarus balticus Lohmann as the type species, has three dorsal setae on both tarsi, whilst Thalassarachna s. str., with the type species Acarus basteri Johnston, has five or more dorsal setae on tarsus I and four or more on tarsus II. The number of setae on tarsi I and II is expected to be a valid generic character. Species of the genus Halacarellus s. str. are recorded from both the northern and southern hemispheres; the North Atlantic species are distinct from those in the southern oceans. Thalassarachna s. str. is known only from the North.     

A new species of the genus Scaptognathus (Acari,Halacaridae) from Japan

A new species under the name Scaptognathus ventridiscus sp. nov. is described from Japan. It differs from its congeners by the possession of a ventral disc in the male, a peculiar arrangement of dorsal plates and dorsal setae, and unique leg chaetotaxy.     

Description of a new species of Rhombognathus (Halacaridae,Acari), its spermiogenesis and spermatozoa

This is the first record of the subfamily Rhombognathinae on the Brazilian coast. A new species is described, Rhombognathus levigatoides sp. nov., which shares most diagnostic features with R. levigatus Bartsch, 2000 Bartsch, I. 2000. Rhombognathinae (Acari: Halacaridae) from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 45: 165–203.  [Google Scholar], but differs from it by measurements of ds‐1, dorsal plates, and spermatophorotype. A detailed account is provided of its spermiogenesis and sperm cell morphology. Rhombognathus sperm cells show features that should be regarded as probable plesiomorphies if contrasted with those found in the other two halacarid spermatozoa studied until now, Halacarellus thomasi and Thalassarachna basteri, such as the almost unmodified mitochondria, type of nuclear condensation similar to that observed in most Actinedida mites, complete acrosomal complex, and presence of a single kind of globular secretion.     

Mangrove halacarid fauna (Halacaridae,Acari) of the Dampier region,Western Australia,with description of five new species

Amongst the vagile epifauna on the mangrove trees Avicennia marina and Rhizophora stylosa, Acari numerically play an important role, contributing 20-75% of the fauna. The two major groups are the prostigmatids and oribatids. Amongst the prostigmatid mites, halacarids are regularly present from the upper littoral fringe, inundated only at very high tide, to the permanently wet substrata adjacent to tide pools. Oribatids are most abundant in permanently wet substrata and often dominate the mite fauna. Five halacarid species, regularly found amongst the epibios on mangroves, are described, Isobactrus australiensis n. sp., Rhombognathus ocularis n. sp., Agauopsis dasyderma n. sp., Copidognathus lutarius n. sp. and C. piger n. sp. Isobactrus australiensis often is the only mite in the upper zone not reached by every high water.     

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.     

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.     

Community composition of laelapine mites (Acari: Laelapidae) associated with the nests and fur of Cerradomys subflavus (Wagner, 1842)

Knowledge about the role of the nest environment in the life cycle of laelapine mites associated with neotropical small mammals is unclear because nests have rarely been collected. Here we use infestation data to make predictions about host–mite ecology and examine the nests of the host to assess the validity of these predictions. Spool-and-line method was used to track Cerradomys subflavus nests. We found that: the structure of mite populations infesting the body of C. subflavus, was strongly biased toward the reproductive female stage; recaptured hosts were re-infested with laelapine mites at different rates; and female hosts were not more highly infested than males. We found strong evidence of nidicoly with both, Gigantolaelaps vitzthumi and Androlaelaps fahrenholzi. The G. vitzthumi was more abundant in the nests of female rodents and with both these mite species, we encountered males and immature mites in the nests, although not in the host fur.     

New zerconid mites (Acari: Gamasida: Zerconidae) from Turkey

In this study, four new species of zerconid mites, Prozercon (Plumatozercon) umidicola, Prozercon (s. str.) denizliensis, Zercon salmani and Zercon beleviensis, from Turkey are described and illustrated.     

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.     

Oribatid mites of Liebstadia (Acari: Oribatida: Scheloribatidae) from Mongolia,with notes on taxonomy of the genus

Three new species of oribatid mites belonging to the genus Liebstadia are described from Mongolia. The new species are characterized by the poorly developed pteromorphae; the club-shaped head of the sensilli; the absence of the dorsosejugal suture; the dorso-ventral thickness, and the length and arrangement of notogastral setae. In addition, L. similis (Michael, 1888) is redescribed and recorded for the first time in Mongolia. Protoribates serratomarginatus Mahunka, 1983 is synonymized with L. similis. A key to the known species of the genus Liebstadia is given.     

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.     

A survey of external morphology of mites of the superfamily Eupodoidea Banks, 1894 (Acari: Acariformes)

This paper represents the initial stage of a systematic study of the mite superfamily Eupodoidea Banks, 1894. For the first time a comprehensive account of external morphology is given with many structures being illustrated by scanning electron micrographs. Where homologies have been established, standardized notations are applied and compared with the terminology previously used by other authors.     

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.     

Three new species and a new record of tenuipalpid mites (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Hungary

Three new tenuipalpid species are described and illustrated from Hungary: Cenopalpus cumanicus sp. nov., Cenopalpus adventicius sp. nov. and Tenuipalpus budensis sp. nov. (Acari: Tenuipalpidae). The authors give an account of one new record of Cenopalpus spinosus (Donnadieu, 1875) found on woody host plants, a species that has not previously been recorded in the Hungarian fauna. Additional species encountered during these surveys are: Brevipalpus lewisi (McGregor, 1949), Cenopalpus pulcher (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1876), Pentamerismus oregonensis McGregor, 1949, and Pentamerismus taxi (Haller, 1877).     

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.     

A new species of Zeuxo (Crustacea: Tanaidacea) from the French Atlantic coast

A new species of tanaidacean of the genus Zeuxo is described from 105 specimens dredged from the shallow inshore benthic marine fauna from Arcachon, western France. This is the only species of Zeuxo in the Lusitanian area. Its combination of a 7-articled uropod (6-articled endopod with elongate articles in the adult) with a conspicuous lacinia mobilis on the right mandible is unique for the genus. The spination and setation of the carpus of pereopod 2 is reduced in comparison with the most similar known species of Zeuxo. It is distinct from potentially sympatric species of the family Tanaidae in having five free pleonites without a dorsal fringe of setae.     

New taxa of Rhagidiidae (Acari: Prostigmata) from North America. Part V. Genus Robustocheles Zacharda,with a key to world species of the genus

Six new species of rhagidiid mites from the Nearctic region, Robustocheles (R.) pascuaria n.sp., R. (R.) similis n.sp., R. (Mexia) longichelae n.subgen, n.sp., R. (Lewia) lacustris n. sp., R. (L.) obscuritata n. sp. and R. (L.) spinaea n. sp., are described. Additional morphological data are given for R. infernalis Zacharda and Elliott which is placed in the new subgenus Mexia. A key to adults of the known four subgenera and 15 species of the genus Robustocheles Zacharda of the world is presented.