Oribatid Mites (Acari: Oribatida) From Venezuela, I. Microzetid Species
Author
Mahunka, S.
text
Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
2005
51
4
287
311
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.12586208
2064-2474
12586208
Berlesezetes auxiliaris
(
GRANDJEAN
, 1936)
Examined
material:
Venezuela
,
Estado
Mérida
.
Secondary
mesic forest N of
Mérida
town, on the ridge above the district of
Santa Maria Norte
, at
1,800 m
. alt. Litter.
March 27, 1997
.
Coll. S.
&
T
.
PÓCS
(No. 9741)
.
The series of specimens found in
Venezuela
this time are nearly identical with the ones that
GRANDJEAN
described and drew. The only difference is that the striped fore-and-aft sculpture on the ventral side is quite faint on the animals collected this time compared to the drawings. Also, in the epimeral region there are a lot less lines on the newly acquired animals. However, these differences could be attributed to imperfect drawings.
Many authors believe in this species circumtropical distribution. I was fortunate that this time I had the chance to analyze not only Venezuelan specimens but
paratypes
(there are
two specimens
in the HNHM’s collection) of the
Berlesezetes africanus
(
BALOGH
, 1958)
species and another, possibly new species from Africa. These species are different from the ones from
Venezuela
, therefore data that points to their circumtropical trait is questionable
.