Three new species of Austrocarabodes (Oribatida: Carabodidae) from South Africa

Abstract

Three new species of oribatid mites of the genus Austrocarabodes (Carabodidae), A. hendriksi sp. nov., A. vernoncrookensis sp. nov. and A. luciensis sp. nov. from various localities and biomes in South Africa are described. Comparisons are made between these new species and other known species.

Revision of the family Carabodidae (Acari: Oribatida) II. Redescription ofAustrocarabodes ensifer(Sellnick, 1931),Aokiella florensBalogh & Mahunka, 1967 andSingabodes rarusMahunka, 1998

“…Many descriptions and redescriptions of the genus and type species were found in literature: the genus was described by Hammer (1966), redescribed by Mahunka (1986), Pérez-Iñigo (1971 and Murvanidze and Weigmann (2007); Hugo (2008) made a diagnosis of the genus, partially combining Hammer (1966) and Mahunka (1986) and added comments regarding the number of epimeral setae which was changed by in relation to Hammer's description (3-1-3-4). Hugo (2008) also reported three cases in which the setal number established by Hammer was observed: A. costulatus Balogh, 1958, A. nodosus Hammer, 1966and A. maculatus Hammer, 1966.…”

“…The presence of the shallow lamellar furrow and the internal cuticular thickening (clearly discernible in specimens with or without cerotegument) and the small d seta, associated with ϕ on tibia I and II, are very interesting characteristics which need to be studied in more detail. We consider the d seta incorrectly referred to in Austrocarabodes hendriksi Hugo, 2008 Aokiella florens. We have already explained the need for detailed observations and not only from a dorsal and ventral view.…”

Contribution to the knowledge of oribatid mites of the genus Austrocarabodes (Acari, Oribatida, Carabodidae) of Madagascar

“…The main subgeneric traits of A. (Austrocarabodes) were summarized by Hammer (1966), Mahunka (1986), Hugo (2008), and Hugo-Coetzee (2011). Identification keys for selective species of Austrocarabodes were presented by Balogh (1988, 2002), Mahunka (2009), Hugo-Coetzee (2011), and Ermilov and Tolstikov (2015).…”