Mycobatidae (Acari: Oribatida) of North America

• Published in: The Canadian Entomologist
• Main Authors: Behan-Pelletier, Valerie M., Eamer, Barbara
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2008
• Subjects: Insect Science; Molecular Biology; Physiology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Structural Biology; Arctic; Canada; Ewing; Mite
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/n07-027; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0008347X0000417X

Abstract The oribatid mite family Mycobatidae is represented in America north of Mexico by the eight genera, Cyrtozetes Behan-Pelletier , Ceresella Pavlitshenko , Guatemalozetes Mahunka , Minunthozetes Hull , Mycobates Hull , Pelopsis Hall , Punctoribates Berlese, and Zachvatkinibates Shaldybina. Species occur in forests, grasslands, and arctic soils, in canopy habitats, and in the marine and freshwater littoral zone. Three new mycobatid species from North America are described: Ceresella reevesi sp. nov. from forest habitats of western North America, Cyrtozetes lindoae sp. nov. from canopy habitats of western Canada, and Punctoribates weigmanni sp. nov. from forest litter in eastern North America. The descriptions of Pelopsis bifurcatus (Ewing) and Punctoribates punctum (C.L. Koch) are expanded based on specimens from North America. Punctoribates palustris (Banks) is redescribed based on specimens from throughout North America. Punctoribates armipes (Banks) is considered a junior subjective synonym of P. palustris (Banks). New distribution records are given for Guatemalozetes danos Behan-Pelletier and Ryabinin and Minunthozetes semirufus (Koch). Diagnoses are given for each genus discussed, and keys are provided to the eight genera of Mycobatidae of North America and to species of Cyrtozetes and Punctoribates , genera not recently revised.