Description of Podothrombium sultanae sp. nov. (Trombidiformes: Podothrombiidae) from Türkiye and an updated key to species

Abstract

Members of Parasitengona belong to the suborder Prostigmata and are one of the important groups of terrestrial mites. They are ectoparasitic in their larval stage whereas their post-larval forms feed on different arthropods as free-living predators. The genus Podothrombium Berlese, 1910 (Trombidiformes: Podothrombiidae) has 19 described species globally, with only two species currently known from Türkiye. This paper describes a new member of this genus, Podothrombium sultanae sp. nov., from Murat Mountain, Kütahya, Türkiye in 2023. Larvae of this species, collected from moss and leaf litter 1181 m a.s.l on Murat Mountain, are described, illustrated and an updated key to species of Podothrombium worldwide (larva) has been added. It is recommended that further investigations be conducted to understand the distribution of these mites and their roles in the environment in Türkiye.