The taxonomy of Tarsotomus Berlese and Paratarsotomus Kuznetsov (Acarina : Anystidae : Erythracarinae) with observations on the natural history of Tarsotomus

Abstract

The genera Tarsotomus and Paratarsotomus are revised and keys to species of both genera and to instars of Tarsotomus are provided. Absoloniana, Anandia, Parabsolonia and Paranandia are made new junior synonyms of Tarsotomus and 17 new species of Tarsotomus are described: T. abruptus, T. aiolos, T. aleantis, T. ambitus, T. anubis, T. argillus, T. colossus, T. comosus, T. desertorus, T. dianellus, T. dioxis, T. heliophilus, T. primitivus, T. pusillus, T. pygmaeus, T. solatus, and T. velopes. All of these new species except T. primitivus belong to the new abruptus group which has been found only in Australia. The type species of Tarsotomus, T. hercules, is redescribed from type material and from newly collected specimens and is recorded from France, Iran and the Ukraine for the first time. Absoloniana diversipes is found to be a new junior synonym of T. hercules and records of this species from Switzerland and Greece are shown to be based on misidentifications. The species T. behningii, T. callunae, T. macropalpis and T. sabulosus are assigned to Paratarsotomus. Tarsotomus rackae is found to be a new junior synonym of Paratarsotomus sabulosus which is recorded from Germany and the Ukraine for the first time. Observations on reproductive behaviour were made for five Tarsotomus species. All of these produce stalked spermatophores, which are often deposited on top of one another. The prelarvae of two species of Tarsotomus were studied and for both were found to be motile. Warm, dry and sparsely covered habitats are found to be typical for Tarsotomus many species of which are active on hot surfaces but lie inactively on their dorsum at room temperature.