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., and Zerconopsis 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, and Protogamasellus massula (Athias-Henriot)]. Proctolaelaps nesbitti (Womersley) is removed fromsynonymy with P. pygmaeus (MÜller). Lectotypes aredesignated for Proctolaelaps antennatus Karg and P. australis Stone. P. antennatus has wrongly been recorded from Australia, and is known only from New Zealand.The first observations of feeding behaviour of mites in the genera Iphidozercon , Xenoseius and Zerconopsis confirm that nematophagy is prevalent amongsoil Ascidae. Keys to the world genera and Australian species areprovided. Protogamasellopsis Evans and Purvis istransferred to the Rhodacaridae, Tangarorellus Luxton toan unspecified family in the Rhodacaroidea, and Lindquistoseius Genis, Loots & Ryke to theOlogamasidae. Orolaelaps DeLeon is removed from synonymywith Melichares Hering. The following new synonymies areproposed: Arctoseius bicuspidatus Willmann, 1949 and Arctoseius limburgensis Nesbitt, 1954 = Arctoseius semiscissus (Berlese, 1892); Cheiroseius ( Posttrematus ) Karg,1981 = Episeius Hull,1918; Iphidozercon californicus Chant,1963, Leioseius ( Arctoseius ) elegans Bernhard, 1963 and Iphidozercon variolatus Ishikawa, 1969= Iphidozercon corticalis Evans, 1958; Garmania longipilis Chant, 1958= Proctolaelaps aurora (Vitzthum, 1925); Proctolaelaps lewisi Garman & McGregor, 1956= P. utahensis Chant, 1958; Lasioseius conviva var. laevisternus Berlese, 1916a = Proctolaelaps pygmaeus (MÜller,1859); Neojordensia lativentris Karg, 1982 = Africoseius areolatus Krantz, 1962.