New Scheloribates (Topobates) (Acari, Oribatida, Scheloribatidae) from Mexico

Abstract

The subgenus Scheloribates (Topobates) (Oribatida, Scheloribatidae) is recorded in Mexico for the first time. Two new species of the subgenus—S. (T.) moskovchenkoi sp. nov. and S. (T.) paramoskovchenkoi sp. nov.—are described, based on adults collected from leaf litter from the karst pits in the secondary semi-evergreen tropical forest. Scheloribates (T.) moskovchenkoi is similar to S. (T.) tibetensis in the presence of heterotridactylous legs and long bothridial seta with elongate, lanceolate head having setiform apex, but it differs from the latter by the number of notogastral setae, the different length of notogastral setae, in having sparse small foveolae in dorsoanterior and dorsocentral parts of notogaster, the position of saccule Sa, the presence of tubercle-like process on the trochanter IV, and the absence of translamella. Scheloribates (T.) paramoskovchenkoi is similar to S. (T.) moskovchenkoi in the presence of bothridial seta with elongate, lanceolate head having setiform apex and 13 pairs of notogastral setae, but it differs from the latter in having monodactylous legs and five pairs of notogastral sacculi, strongly reduced pteromorph, the presence of tooth-like process on the trochanter IV, the presence of two longitudinal dorsodistal carinae and concavity between them on the leg tarsi I, II, and in the absence of foveolae on the notogaster and ventrobasal tooth on the leg tibiae I, II.