New and interesting oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) near Potchefstroom (South Africa), with description of two new species

Abstract

The present study is based on oribatid mite material (Acari, Oribatida) collected near the city of Potchefstroom in South Africa. A list of identified taxa, including 44 species from 34 genera and 21 families, is presented; of these, five species (Epilohmannia dimorpha, Cultroribula bicuspidata, Suctobelbila fonticula, Protoribates paracapucinus, Galumna baloghi) and one genus (Cultroribula) are recorded in the fauna of South Africa for the first time; one species (Limnozetes palmerae) is recorded in the Ethiopian region for the first time. Two new species belonging to the genera Scheloribates and Galumna are described. Scheloribates (Scheloribates) potchefstroomensis sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to S. (S.) diversidactylus (Hammer, 1961) and Scheloribates (S.) tricarinus Coetzer, 1968, but differs by the bothridial setae with developed heads and porose body surface. Galumna (Galumna) curvifamulus sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to G. (G.) colombiana Ermilov, 2017, but differs by the posteromedial localization of setal alveoli la, tuberculate medioanterior part of prodorsum, striate pteromorphs, smooth subcapitular mentum and the positions of lyrifissures ih and ips. The systematic placement of Urubambates calcaratus Mahunka, 1984 is discussed, resulting in the following taxonomic proposal: Scheloribates calcaratus (Mahunka, 1984) comb. nov.