No abstract

Four new species of the oribatid mite genus Carabodes from western North America are described, based on adult specimens: Carabodes california known from California, C. colorado from British Columbia, Alberta, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, C. dickinsoni from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California, and C. hoh from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. We provide an expanded diagnosis of the genus, including information on integumental birefringence, chaetotaxy, palptarsal setation, and position of lyrifissure iad. We present a table of character states and a diagnostic key for the 28 species, as well as a summary of their distributions.

Adults of four new species of Carabodes, C. chandleri, C. erectus, C. interruptus, and C. pentasetosus, and the immatures of C. erectus, are described. All have been collected from a variety of forest-floor habitats, with C. chandleri, C. interruptus, and C. pentasetosus more common in leaf litter, and C. erectus preferring polyporous fungi. All four species are widely distributed in eastern North America, with C. chandleri, C. erectus, and C. interruptus more abundant in samples from the Appalachian Mountains and C. pentasetosus in those from the Atlantic coastal plain. Thelytokous parthenogenesis is suspected to occur in C. pentasetosus n.sp. and Carabodes granulatus Banks. A key to the 19 species of Carabodes found in North America is provided.

Pitfall traps and tree bands were used to collect arthropods at two sites in southeastern New Hampshire during the 1982–83 outbreak of gypsy moth. Pitfall traps caught more individuals (74% of total) than tree bands. Carabid beetles (59%) and spiders (22%) were the dominant groups. Twenty-two genera and 48 species of carabid beetles and 31 genera and 43 species of spiders were collected. Spiders had more species and a larger proportion (38%) collected under tree bands than did carabid beetles (12%). Guts of all individuals were tested for presence of gypsy moth proteins using ELISA. Fourteen genera and 26 species of carabid beetles tested positive with the highest percent (50%) recorded for Calosoma frigidum Kirby. Twenty-eight genera and 31 species of spiders tested positive with the highest percent (57%) recorded for Haplodrassus bicornis (Emerton). Positive test results were generally higher in tree band collections for species in either group. Positive tests may have been overestimated in the carabid beetles through carrion feeding, and in the spiders because of the extended period required to digest meals.