Ontogenetic instars of the oribatid mite Spatiodamaeus kalugaensis sp. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Damaeidae) from Russia.

A new species of the genus Spatiodamaeus (Oribatida, Damaeidae) is described from Russia, based on adult and juvenile instars collected from bark of Acer platanoides and soil-litter of mixed and broadleaf forests in European part of Russia and Western Siberia. The adult of Spatiodamaeus kalugaensis sp. nov. is similar to S. nortoni (Bayartogtokh, 2004) comb. nov. in having epimeral neotrichy but differs from the latter by the presence of the parastigmatic tubercle Sa, the form of the parastigmatic tubercle Sp and the notogastral setae c1, c2, and the barbulation of the rostral, epimeral, anogenital, and notogastral setae of p-series. Comparisons between juvenile instars of the new species and the known juveniles of Spatiodamaeus and Epidamaeus are presented.

Quantitative assessment of the dispersal of soil-dwelling oribatid mites via rodents in restored heathlands.

Heathland restoration using topsoil removal requires the re-colonization of above- and belowground communities. Oribatid mites play a key role in the comminution of organic matter and are frequently early colonizers during succession despite their limited mobility. Whereas the assembly of their communities may take decades, passive dispersal likely dominates colonization processes, but especially dispersal via other animals (phoresy) remains poorly studied. Compared to other potential hosts, movement habits and ecology of small rodents may provide dispersal advantages to oribatid communities. We studied dispersal of oribatid mites via small rodents in restored heathland sites of different age. We measured movement patterns of small rodents and extracted mites from their pelts and nests to estimate annual contributions of these rodents to the dispersal of oribatids. We also discussed phoretic estimates reported on other host groups as a reference. Probability estimates of oribatids in pelts and nests showed lower occurrence frequencies compared to other reported phoretic hosts. However, local rodent communities may aid the dispersal of up to 41,000 oribatid mites per year. We highlight the high diversity of oribatid species mounting rodents, unlike strong species-specific filters reported in other passive pathways. We found that over half (58%) of the oribatid species reproduced asexually and over a third (32%) had a soil-dwelling lifestyle. We also observed that rodents often travel short distances below 40 m, but occasionally reach distances of up to 100 m, especially in earlier successional stages. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that rodents may contribute to assembly processes of soil-dwelling oribatid communities given the slow turnover rate of this group in heathlands. This is accomplished through short-distance dispersal, and especially in sites at early stages of succession. To our knowledge, we are the first to quantitatively assess the potential dispersal of oribatid mites via rodents.

Checklist of the oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) of the Republic of Colombia.

This checklist of oribatid mites of the Republic of Colombia compiles and provides a taxonomic update of all records known up to 2020. It includes 192 entries accounting for 68 named and 47 unnamed species belonging to 73 genera and 58 families of non-astigmatid oribatid mites. Specimens from the brachypyline supercohort were dominant (54.7%), followed by Mixonomata (30.7%). However, current knowledge is far from being complete and distribution patterns show large gaps throughout the country due to this lacking knowledge and most existing investigations only include group specific studies that prevent from any conclusions regarding the real community composition of oribatids in Colombia. From 32 political-administrative departments, oribatids have been reported in 20, but 5 account for 65% of the records. These are: Cundinamarca -including Bogot D.C.- (24.4%), Magdalena (21.8%), Nario (6.3%), La Guajira (6.3%), and Quindo (5.9%). Whereas most oribatid reports in the Neotropical region have taken place during the past five decades, a map presented in this document shows that Colombia still lags behind other Latin American countries. Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, for instance, have reported the highest number of species for the region and are the only nations that possess national oribatid checklists in Latin America. The current work represents a national baseline of oribatids encouraging further study of this clearly underrepresented group.

Taxonomy of European Damaeidae (Acari, Oribatida) XI. European species of the genus Piribelba Miko 2021: redescriptions of P. rossica (Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1957) and P. piriformis (Mihelcic, 1964) using morphology and DNA sequence data.

Two closely related species of the genus Piribelba (Oribatida, Damaeidae) are redescribed based on morphology of adults and developmental instars. Redescription of P. rossica (Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1957) is based on specimens collected in Russia, including specimens identified by Bulanova-Zachvatkina; redescription of P. piriformis (Mihelcic, 1964) is based on specimens collected in Europe, including Mihelcic's types. COX1 sequence barcoding of P. piriformis and P. rossica indicated that they are distinct species, having 12.0% uncorrected p-distances and 13.3% Kimura two-parameter distances (K2P). Based on the morphological and genetical differences, the synonymy of P. rossica and P. piriformis is rejected. A key to known species of Piribelba is provided.

Oribatid mites (Acarina, Oribatida) from French Guyana: review of the genus Rhynchoribates and description of three new specie.

One new genus (Eurhynchoribates n. gen.) and three new subgenera (Rhynchoribatodes n. subgen., Parhynchoribates n. subgen. and Tectorhynchoribates n. subgen.) are proposed on the basis of review of known species of genus Rhynchoribates Grandjean, 1929 and on the basis of description of three new species-Rhynchoribates (s. str.) danbartai n. sp., Rhynchoribates (Tectorhynchoribates) jurobales n. sp. and Rhynchoribates (Rhynchoribatodes) dynastes n. sp.-from the territory of French Guyana. All known species of Rhynchoribates are discussed and their position into newly defined genera and subgenera proposed. Detailed differential diagnoses are given for all new taxons.

Taxonomy of European Damaeidae VIII. Contribution to classification of genus Damaeus C. L. Koch, 1835, with a review of Adamaeus Norton, 1978 and Paradamaeus Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1957 and redescription of three species.

Adamaeus Norton, 1978 and Paradamaeus Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1957, two subgenera of genus Damaeus C. L. Koch, 1835, are reviewed on the basis of the redescription of their type species. Subgenus Eudamaeus Pérez-Iñigo, 1987 and genus Tectodamaeus Aoki, 1984 are reviewed and their relation to Damaeus is discussed. Damaeus firmus Kunst, 1957 is redescribed and placed into the nominate subgenus. Damaeus helveticus (Schweizer, 1956) n.comb. is redescribed and placed into the nominate subgenus, its synonymy with Damaeus (Adamaeus) onustus C.L.Koch, 1844 is rejected. Damaeus alpinus (Schweizer, 1956) n.comb. is redescribed and placed into the nominate subgenus. Lectotypes and paralectotypes of Damaeus firmus Kunst, 1957; Damaeus helveticus (Schweizer, 1956) and Damaeus alpinus (Schweizer, 1956) are indicated. Based on published reviews and redescriptions, new diagnoses for Tectodamaeus Aoki, 1984, Damaeus C. L. Koch, 1835 and its subgenera are proposed, and a list of all known European species of Damaeus C. L. Koch, 1835 is provided. Tectodamaeus longus Xie & Yang, 2009 is newly combined to Damaeus as D. longus (Xie & Yang, 2009) n.comb.

Taxonomy of European Damaeidae (Acari: Oribatida) VII. Redescription of Neobelba pseudopapillipes Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1967 with comments on its generic status.

We redescribe Neobelba pseudopapillipes Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1967, single known species of Neobelba Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1967, based on the material collected in Russia and Slovakia. The species shares many important characters of Metabelba Grandjean, 1936, particularly of the subgenus M. (Pateribelba) Mourek, Miko et Bernini, 2011. It can be easily distinguished by presence of companion seta d, coupled with solenidion on tibia IV. As the original material of Bulanova-Zachvatkina was lost, neotype and 14 paraneotypes from Voronezh region, Russia are newly designated. Based on the neotype redescription, Neobelba was re-defined and the new status was proposed. Synonymy with Metabelba s. str. as proposed by Subías (2013) is rejected, and Neobelba is considered to be a separate subgenus of Metabelba, as earlier proposed by Subías (2004). Present distribution of Metabelba (Neobelba) pseudopapillipes (Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1967) and known ecological data on the species are provided.

Oribatid mite fossils from pre-Quaternary sediments in Slovenian caves II. Amiracarus pliocennatus n.gen., n.sp. (Microzetidae) from Pliocene, with comments on the other species of the genus.

Amiracarus pliocennatus n. gen., n. sp. is described based on fossils found in Pliocene and Pleistocene clastic sediments in caves of the Slovenian Classical Karst (Kras). Diagnosis and relationships of the new genus are given and relationships within the extant species of the genus are discussed as well as variability and reliability of some characters, used for species differentiation. Amiracarus senensis (Bernini 1975) n. comb. is proposed as a type species of the new genus, and other four extant species are newly placed in Amiracarus n. gen.: A. abeloosi (Lions 1978) n. comb., A. discrepans (Mahunka 1966) n. comb., A. grootaerti (Wauthy &Ducarme 2011) n. comb. and A. similis (Subìas & Iturrondobeitia 1978) n. comb. Finding of a fossil individual of M. senensis Bernini 1975 in Ponicova Cave of South-West Carpathians in Romania is reported and a description of this individual is given. Relationships with the genus Miracarus Kunst 1959 are discussed and a new diagnosis of this genus is also given, along with the redescription of its type species, M. hurkai Kunst 1959.