Revision of the Australian Ascidae (Acarina : Mesostigmata)

Abstract

Ascid mites are an important component of the predatory meiofauna in soil, onvegetation, and in association with other animals, yet the Australian fauna isalmost unknown. At least 15 genera of ascid mites occur in Australia, of which14 genera and 26 species are treated in this paper. Four of these genera(Gamasellodes, Hoploseius,Platyseius,Xenoseius) are hererecorded from Australia for the first time. Six new species are described[Antennoseius(Antennoseius)lobochelus, sp.nov., Arctoseius memnon, sp. nov.,Gamasellodes plaire, sp. nov.,Platyseius cupensis, sp.nov., Xenoseius elizae, sp. nov., andZerconopsis pristis, sp. nov.], and six otherspecies are reported from Australia for the first time[Arctoseius semiscissus(Berlese),Gamasellodes rectiventris Lindquist,Proctolaelaps aurora(Vitzthum),Proctolaelaps bickleyi(Bram), Proctolaelaps lobatus De Leon, andProtogamasellus massula (Athias-Henriot)].Proctolaelaps nesbitti (Womersley) is removed fromsynonymy with P. pygmaeus (MÜller). Lectotypes aredesignated for Proctolaelaps antennatusKarg andP. australis Stone.P. antennatushas wrongly been recorded from Australia, and is known only from New Zealand.The first observations of feeding behaviour of mites in the generaIphidozercon, Xenoseius andZerconopsis confirm that nematophagy is prevalent amongsoil Ascidae. Keys to the world genera and Australian species areprovided.Protogamasellopsis Evans and Purvis istransferred to the Rhodacaridae, TangarorellusLuxton toan unspecified family in the Rhodacaroidea, andLindquistoseius Genis, Loots & Ryke to theOlogamasidae. OrolaelapsDeLeon is removed from synonymywith Melichares Hering. The following new synonymies areproposed: Arctoseius bicuspidatus Willmann, 1949 andArctoseius limburgensis Nesbitt, 1954 =Arctoseius semiscissus (Berlese, 1892);Cheiroseius (Posttrematus) Karg,1981 = EpiseiusHull,1918;Iphidozercon californicus Chant,1963,Leioseius (Arctoseius)elegans Bernhard, 1963 andIphidozercon variolatus Ishikawa, 1969=Iphidozercon corticalisEvans, 1958;Garmania longipilis Chant, 1958=Proctolaelaps aurora(Vitzthum, 1925);Proctolaelaps lewisi Garman & McGregor, 1956= P. utahensis Chant, 1958;Lasioseius convivavar.laevisternus Berlese, 1916a =Proctolaelaps pygmaeus(MÜller,1859);Neojordensia lativentris Karg, 1982 =Africoseius areolatus Krantz, 1962.