Ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Madagascar and neighbouring islands

Niedbała, W. (2017): Ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Madagascar and neighbouring islands. Acarologia 57 (1): 3-205, DOI: 10.1051/acarologia/20164149, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/acarologia/2016414

An up-dated study of ptyctimous mite fauna (Acari: Oribatida) of the australasian region with description of thirteen new species

International audienceThis paper presents a review of 91 ptyctimous oribatid mite species including three Mesoplophoridae, 25 Euphthiracaroidea and 63 of Phthiracaroidea of the Australasian Region. Thirteen species are new for science: Mesoplophora (Mesoplophora) parapulchra n. sp., Apoplophora paraserrata n. sp., Acrotritia paraspiculifera n. sp., Microtritia cristata n. sp., Plonaphacarus vicinus n. sp., Steganacarus (Rhacaplacarus) cucullus n. sp., Austrophthiracarus konwerskii n. sp., Arphthicarus trivestigius n. sp., Notophthiracarus angustus n. sp., Notophthiracarus bloszyki n. sp., Notophthiracarus hallidayi n. sp., Notophthiracarus lewisensis n. sp., Notophthiracarus parausitatus n. sp.. Descriptions of eight known species are also provided with some morphological remarks. New localities have been discovered for 46 species extending their hitherto geographical ranges. Twenty-four species, considered until now as endemics to one locality, are reported from new localities. The greatest number of endemic mites has been found in southern Australia, in particular in the State of Victoria. The present ptyctimous fauna of the Australasian Region comprises now 240 species, including one Protoplophoridae, eight Mesoplophoridae, 49 Euphthiracaroidea and 182 Phthiracaroidea. Almost all genera of the group are reported from this region. The largest number of ptyctimous mite species has been found in Queensland and New South Wales. The highest number of species is found in two Phthiracaroidea genera: Notophthiracarus and Austrophthiracarus. Within the Euphthiracaroidea, the highest number of species has been observed in the genera Oribotritia and Acrotritia