Revision of the larvae of the tribe Callidosomatini (Acarina : Erythraeidae) with observations on post-larval instars

Abstract

The tribe Callidosomatini (nom. emend. pro Callidosomini Southcott, 1961) is revised for its larval members for the world, including species from Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, and North and South America. The tribe is left with three genera: Callidosoma Womersley, 1936; Caeculisoma Berlese, 1888; and Momorangia, gen. nov.

Callidosoma was previously known from three species from continental Australia. The present paper deals with 10 larval species, including five from Australia: C. wornersleyi Southcott, 1946; C. galtoni, sp. nov.; C. heatherae, sp. nov.; C. dasypodiae (Womersley, 1934); C. tindalei, sp. nov. One species, C. rostratum, sp. nov., is described from New Guinea, and one, C. tiki, sp. nov., from New Zealand. Two species, C. apollo, sp. nov., and C. treati, sp. nov., are described from North America, and one, C. wallaceanum, sp. nov., from South America.

The post-larval instars of pupa I (nymphochrysalis or protonymph) and active nymph (deutonymph) of Callidosoma dasypodiae are described from reared material. The protonymph of C. treati is described.

Larval Callidosoma were captured either free-living or as ectoparasites upon winged insects: Psylloidea (Homoptera), C. wornersleyi; Lepidoptera, C. apollo, C. dasypodiae, C. tiki, C. tindalei, C. treati, and C. wallaceanum; Diptera, C. tiki; Orthoptera, C. galtoni. C. heatherae and C. rostratum are known only from free-living specimens.

For Caeculisoma the only species of larva previously known was C. darwiniense Southcott, 1961. Three further species of larvae are described: C. cooremani, sp. nov., and C sparnoni, sp. nov., from Australia, and C. huxleyi, sp. nov., from New Zealand.

Larval Caeculisoma were captured either free-living or as ectoparasites upon winged insects: Orthoptera, C. cooremani; Lepidoptera, C. huxleyi; free-living only, C. sparnoni.

Momorangia is founded for two New Zealand species: M. jacksoni, sp. nov., (type species), and M. vallata, sp. nov.; both were taken as ectoparasites upon Homoptera (cicadas), and M. vallata also upon a moth (Lepidoptera).