Oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) from the Sella massif (Dolomites, Trentino, Italy) with description of Trichoribates valeriae n. sp. (Ceratozetidae)

Abstract

Results from collections of oribatid mites in the cushion plant belt of Sass Pordoi and Piz Boè in the Italian Dolomites (Prov. Trento) are presented. A total of 10 oribatid species belonging to seven families were found. Most have a wide general distribution, Anachipteria shtanchaevae is restricted to the Alps. Three species are frequently or mainly found in the montane to alpine zone (A. shtanchaevae, Camisia horrida, Oribatula interrupta). Remarkable findings are Camisia foveolata, hitherto only known from the boreal climate zone, which indicates a preglacial relict distribution, and Kunstidamaeus lengersdorfi as highest recorded altitude for this species. Trichoribates valeriae n. sp., found in large numbers on both mountains, is described and compared with other congeners, and its systematic position is discussed. This species is characterized by a lamellar structure with small ridges and widely separated cusps, rounded rostrum with nose-like protuberance, 10 pairs of medium long notogastral setae with short bristles, notogastral porose area A1 divided in two parts, porose areas present on all tibiae and tarsi. Additional morphological information on the presence of porose areas on tarsi of Trichoribates scilierensis Bayartogtokh and Schatz, 2008 is given.

The genus Cultrobates (Acari: Oribatida: Ceratokalummidae) in the Galapagos Islands and Central America

“…(Willmann 1930) as well as in the lowland rain forest of Tikal (Departamento Petén), in 200 m a.s.l., without detailed habitat data (Mahunka 1983). It is noteworthy that C. heterodactylus has not been encountered in Belize and Costa Rica yet, despite numerous samplings in these countries (Schatz 1997(Schatz , 2006, and likewise not at higher elevations or mountain chains of Costa Rica and Panama (Schatz 2007).…”

A new species of Brachychthoniidae (Acari: Oribatida) from the Eastern Central Alps (Austria, Tyrol), with the proposal of a new genus

“…Possibly it survived as preglacial relict on a nunatak or it evolved in this altitude in isolation (cf. Schatz 2020).…”