A new genus and species of mite (Acari: Acaridae) from Mexico

Comerinia chuetolamina gen. & sp. nov. was collected from a cargo of dried Daphnia imported to Britain from Mexico. Females can be distinguished from all others described in the family Acaridae in that setae 14, 15 and d5 are flattened dorsoventrally over most of the basal half. This region appears blade-like, bearing numerous strong pectinations along the ventral side. Males may be recognized by a series of characters, some of which reflect a close relationship with Forcellinia Ouds., 1924 and others with Tyrophagus Ouds., 1924. The position of the new genus in a commonly used key to adults of the family Acaridae is indicated.     

Four new feather mite species of the genus Proctophyllodes Robin(Astigmata:Proctophyllodidae) from China

Four new species of the feather mite genus Proctophyllodes are described from the birds of the order Passeriformes in China:P.flexuosa sp.nov.from Eophona migratoria Hartert(Chongqing),P.brevis sp.nov.from Passer montanus(Linnaeus)(Anhui and Chongqing),P.garrula sp.nov.from Garrulax poecilorhynchus Gould(Anhui),P.canora sp.nov.from Garrulax canorus(Linnaeus)(Guizhou).     

A new oribatid mite of the genus Rhynchoribates (Acari,Rhynchoribatidae) from equador

A new oribatid mite species, Rhynchoribates parafabulosus sp. n., is described from Ecuador. This species is similar to R. fabulosus Beck 1961 (from Peru) in the rostrum structure and the length of prodorsal and notogastral setae. However, it clearly differs from the above species by the absence of thorns on the leg femora, location of adanal lyrifissures, and the structure of notogastral setae.     

A new oribatid mite species of the genus Sphaerozetes (Acari,Ceratozetidae) from Vietnam

A new oribatid mite species, Sphaerozetes bugiamapensis sp. n., is described from the Bu Gia Map National Park (Vietnam). The genus Sphaerozetes is recorded from Vietnam for the first time.     

A new Indo-Australian genus of Braconinae (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Braconidae)

Bicarinibracon gen.n. (type species Atanyco1us tricolor . Szépligeti from Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya). Bicarinibracon luteus gen. et. 3p.n. from India and Malaya and B. lepicius gen. et. sp.n. from Thailand and the Philippines are described and illustrated. A key to the specics of Bicarinibracon is provided and its systematic placement is discussed.     

Multivariate discrimination among cryptic species of the mite genus Chaetodactylus (Acari: Chaetodactylidae) associated with bees of the genus Lithurgus (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in North America

Twenty-seven morphological characters from 111 heteromorphic deutonymphs of the mite genus Chaetodactylus Rondani (Acari: Chaetodactylidae) were analyzed. The mites were collected from four species of bees of the genus Lithurgus Berthold (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in continental North America. Principal component and canonical variates analyses on Darroch and Mosimann shape and size-and-shape variables revealed the presence of three cryptic species. Chaetodactylus gibbosi sp. n. (Florida) is geographically isolated from C. lithurgi sp. n. distributed in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Idaho. Sympatric C. lithurgi and C. abditus sp. n. (USA: Arizona, Mexico: Socorro Is.) are seasonally isolated in Arizona. Chaetodactylus gibbosi is associated with a single bee species, Lithurgus gibbosus Smith in Florida. The host range of C. lithurgi includes bees flying predominantly in the spring: L. apicalis Cresson, L. littoralis Cockerell, and western L. gibbosus. Chaetodactylus abditus sp. n. is associated with L. planifrons Friese and L. echinocacti Cockerell, flying predominantly in the fall in Arizona. No distinct groups separated by geographic locality or size were detected in any species. A six-variable model developed by the canonical variates analysis and estimated using jackknife resampling and external validation (n=100) is capable of classifying the three species with 100% accuracy. Factors that influenced speciation of cryptic species of Chaetodactylus associated with Lithurgus are discussed. Based on morphological and geographical data and data on mite associates, the western and eastern populations of the bee L. gibbosus are distinct. Therefore, the taxonomic status of L. gibbosus s. lat. should be reevaluated.     

A new freshwater halacarid mite, genus Peregrinacarus (Halacaridae, Acari) from the Falklands

Peregrinacarus falklandensis n. sp., a halacarid mite from an East Falkland creek, is described and illustrated. This is the second Peregrinacarus species to date. The other species, P. reticulatus Bartsch, is recorded from Marion Island, Indian Ocean. The two species differ in chaetotaxy of the legs. The presence of halacarids in freshwater of southern polar and adjacent regions is discussed.     

A new genus and a new species of Xiphydriidae (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Symphyta) from India

Heteroxiphia gen. n. (type species: Heteroxiphia maai sp.n.)from India is described and illustrated. This new genus is related to Indoxiphia Maa and Cingalixiphia Maa, from which it is distinguished by the 3-segmented maxillary palps, shape of the claws of the meso- and metalegs, form of forewing vein 2A and the sculpture of the head.     

A new genus and species of Braconinae from Australia (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Braconidae)

Euurobraconoides gen.n. (type-species: Euurobraconoides longicaudis sp.n.) from Australia is described and illustrated. The relationships of Euurobraconoides gen.n. to the Euurobraconini Ashmead and to the Braconini are discussed.     

A new mite superfamily (Acari: Cryptostigmata)

The new superfamily Eutegaeoidea (Acari: Cryptostigmata) is defined and subdivided into three families, viz. Eutegaeidae, Compactozetidae nov., Pterozetidae nov. The Eutegaeidae is considered to possess six genera ( Eutegaeus, Neoeutegaeus, Neseutegaeus, Pareutegaeus, Birotegaeus nov., Atalotegaeus nov.), the Pterozetidae three genera ( Pterozetes, Porrhotegaeus, Dudichella ), and the Compactozetidae four genera ( Compactozetes, Bornebuschia, Hamotegeus, Sadocepheus ). Keys are provided to all taxa down to species and Pareutegaeus similis (Trägardh, 1931) is redescribed from the lectotype.     

A new genus and species in the mite family Eupodidae (Acari,Eupodoidea) from Crimea

A new genus Pseudoeupodes Khaustov, gen. n. and new species Pseudoeupodes porosus sp. n. are described from moss in Crimea. The taxonomy of the Eupodidae and some other families and genera of Eupodoidea is reviewed. The genus Turanopenthalodes Barilo, 1988 is transferred from Penthalodidae to Penthaleidae. The family Cocceupodidae Jesionowska, 2010 and the genus Filieupodes Jesionowska, 2010 are considered as junior synonyms of Eupodidae Koch, 1842 and Cocceupodes Thor, 1934, respectively. A key to genera of the family Eupodidae is provided.     

Five new canestriniids (Acari: Astigmata) from Papua New Guinea

Five new species from Papua New Guinea representative of five genera of astigmatous acari belonging to the family Canestriniidae are described.     

A new species of the mite genus Dolichocybe (Acari, Heterostigmata, Dolichocybidae) from the Crimea

A new species from the Crimea, Dolichocybe subcorticalis, is described and illustrated. It was found under the bark of Salix sp. in galleries of the beetle Trypophloeus rybinskii Reitter. A key to the all known species of the genus Dolichocybe is given.     

A new species of the feather mite genus Titanolichus Gaud & Atyeo, 1996 (Acari: Astigmata: Pterolichidae) from the endangered orange-bellied parrot Neophema chrysogaster (Aves: Psittaciformes) from Australia

Abstract  Titanolichus seemani sp. n., a new species of the genus Titanolichus Gaud & Atyeo, 1996, is described from a museum skin of the endangered orange-bellied parrot Neophema chrysogaster (Latham) (Aves: Psittaciformes) from Australia. We also redescribe the type species Titanolichus chiragricus (Mégnin & Trouessart) from the ground parrot Pezoporus wallicus (Kerr), provide a key for all known species of Titanolichus and point out some problems in the systematics of this genus.     

A new oribatid mite species of the genus Protoribates (Acari,Oribatida, Haplozetidae) from Ethiopia

A new oribatid mite species, Protoribates aethiopicus sp. n., from Ethiopia is described. This species is morphologically similar to Protoribates dentatus (Berlese, 1883), but differs from it in the longer lamellae and notogastral setae, shorter adanal setae ad ₁ and smaller notogastral porous areas, as well as in the presence of two claws on all legs.     

Trophic determinants of hypopus induction in the stored-product mite Lepidoglyphus destructor (Acari: Astigmata)

A unique (synapomorphic) characteristic of astigmatic mites is the heteromorphic deuteronymph also called hypopus. It is a non-feeding and facultative instar between protonymph and tritonymph. The hypopus is adapted for dispersal and sometimes also for dormancy, as in Lepidoglyphus destructor. The experiments reveal a correlation between the composition of the foodstuff, the duration of development of homomorphic instars, the mortality of protonymphs and the production of hypopodes. As food quality decreases, development lasts longer, mortality increases and hypopodes are produced in greater numbers. Disadvantageous trophic conditions of varied chemical nature favour the induction of hypopodes. The experimental data show that hypopus incidences (as percentage individuals of a population) depend on the relative proportions of constituents of an ingested foodstuff. What matters is the ratio between nourishing foodstuff components and those that are of little or no nutritional value. When a certain ratio does not meet a presumed metabolically required level of nutrients a nutritional deficiency results and hypopus induction is triggered, provided that adequate genetic propensities for hypopus production are present (L. destructor is highly polymorphic for hypopus production). Specific key substances are apparently not involved, and composite properties of a foodstuff are crucial for hypopus induction. Decrease of food quality (not poor food per se) during the hypopus-inducible period (late larval to early protonymphal phase) promotes hypopus induction. The interpretation matches the ecological scene. When trophic deterioration of a patch habitat sets in, often as a result of overcrowding, conditions will eventually become untenable. As a response to incurring nutritional deficiencies the mites will induce hypopodes, which provide for escape from or survival at the decaying habitat patch. Experiments support the threshold model of quantitative genetics for hypopus expression as previously inferred from other experiments with L. destructor.     

Neohyadesia microtricha (Acari: Astigmata: Algophagidae): a new species from the sub-Antarctic

The sub-antarctic mite genus Neohyadesia (Acari: Astigmata) is known from two described taxa: N. signyi from Signy Island (South Orkney Islands, South Atlantic Province), and a subspecies, N. s. punctulata from Ile Kerguelen (South Indian Province). This paper describes a second species distinguishable by, in particular, cuticular microtrichae covering the dorsal surface. The new species, N. microtricha sp. nov., has a similarly disjunct sub-antarctic distribution, occurring on both Marion (SIP) and South Georgia (SAP) islands. A systematic synopsis of the sub-antarctic algophagine mites is given. Accepted: 30 June 2000     

A new genus of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from India

A new genus, probably related to Anagyrus, is erected for a new species parasitic on mealy-bugs, the male and female of which are described.