The Genus Myrmozercon Berlese, with Descriptions of Two New Species (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae)

Abstract

The genus Myrmonyssus Berlese, 1903, is synonymized with Myrmozercon Berlese, 1902. Two new species are described and illustrated. Palpal and leg chaetotaxy for certain species are given. In 1902 Berlese erected the genus Myrmo- zercon (type species, M. brevipes), and the fol- lowing year (Berlese, 1903a) erected the genus Myrmonyssus (type species, M. diplogenius) for new species of mites collected from ants. Illus- trations were not included with the original de- scriptions, but both genera and their type species were redescribed and the species illustrated in a separate paper (Berlese, 1903b). Three addition- al species of Myrmonyssus were also described and illustrated in the later paper. Myrmozercon presently includes 2 species and Myrmonyssus 12 species (1 of questionable sta- tus). All species in both genera have been col- lected from or in association with ants. The 2 genera share common characters, and each ge- nus, according to descriptors, has unique char- acters. A comparison of species of Myrmozercon and Myrmonyssus based on descriptions, illus- trations, and specimens available to us showed that the unique characters ascribed to each genus are not confined to that genus, and that differences between the genera are often a matter of the degree of development rather than pres- ence or absence of characters (see Remarks). On the basis of this information, we consider Myr- monyssus Berlese, 1903, to be a synonym ofMyr- mozercon Berlese, 1902. In this paper we redefine Myrmozercon, describe 2 new species, and pro- vide information on palpal and leg chaetotaxy for certain species. REDESCRIPTION