A NEW SPECIES AND NEW RECORDS OF ORIBATID MITES (ACARI, ORIBATIDA) FROM THE OROMIA REGION (ETHIOPIA)

Abstract

: The present study is based on oribatid mite material (Oribatida) collected from the Oromia Region in Ethiopia. A new species of the genus Allogalumna (Galumnidae) is described. Allogalumna oromiaensis Ermilov sp.n. differs from A. abrupta (Hammer, 1972) in having lanceolate bothridial setae and in having a complete dorsosejugal suture. Allogalumna oromiaensis also differs from A. bipartita (Aoki et Hu, 1993) in having three pairs of notogastral porose areas and in having a complete dorsosejugal suture. A list of new records of Ethiopian fauna, which includes seven species, is provided. Of these, Malaconothrus aureopunctatus Hammer, 1979 and Tectocepheus minor Berlese, 1903 are recorded for the first time in the Ethiopian region. The other five species, as well as the genera Ululohmannia Mahunka, 1987 , Hammerabates Balogh, 1970 and Heterogalumna Balogh, 1960, are recorded for the first time in Ethiopia. size 2×2 cm). The mites were ex-tracted into 75% ethanol using Berlese’s funnels with electric lamps in laboratory conditions. The specimens were mounted in lactic acid on temporary cavity slides for measurement and illus-tration. Their body length was measured in lateral view, from the tip of the rostrum to the posterior edge of the notogaster. Notogastral width refers to the maximum width of the notogaster in dorsal view (behind pteromorphs). The lengths of body setae were measured in lateral aspect. All body measurements are presented in micrometers (µm). The formulas for leg setation are given in parentheses according to the sequence trochanter–fe-mur–genu–tibia–tarsus (famulus included). Formulas for leg solenidia are given in square brackets according to the sequence genu–tibia–tarsus. Drawings were made with a camera lucida using a Leica transmission light microscope “Lei-ca DM 2500”. Images were obtained with an Axio-Cam ICc3 using a Carl Zeiss transmission light microscope “Axio Lab.A1”. this