Mycobatidae (Acari: Oribatida) of North America

Abstract

AbstractThe 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 reevesisp. nov. from forest habitats of western North America, Cyrtozetes lindoaesp. nov. from canopy habitats of western Canada, and Punctoribates weigmannisp. 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.