Description of Oromurcia magadanensis sp. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Ceratozetidae) from Russia, with remarks on biogeography of the genus Oromurcia Thor, 1930.

Species of the genus Oromurcia Thor, 1930 (Oribatida, Ceratozetidae) mainly have an arctic or alpine distribution in the Western Palaearctic region and Greenland. We describe a new species of Oromurcia from Northeast Asia (Magadan Region, Russia) based on adult and juvenile instars. Numerous populations of Oromurcia magadanensis sp.

Hogsbackia africaensis/ gen. nov., sp. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Ceratozetoidea, Punctoribatidae), from Afromontane forest of South Africa.

A new oribatid mite genus, Hogsbackia gen. nov. (Oribatida, Punctoribatidae), with type species Hogsbackia africaensis sp.

Sculpteremaeus olszanowskii gen. nov., sp. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Cymbaeremaeidae) from chaparral in California, USA, with a reassessment of Cymbaeremaeidae.

A new oribatid mite genus, Sculpteremaeus gen. nov. (Oribatida, Cymbaeremaeidae), with Sculpteremaeus olszanowskii sp.

Trichoribates sidorchukae sp. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Ceratozetidae) from tropical montane Ecuador, with revised generic diagnosis.

Species of the oribatid mite genus Trichoribates (Oribatida, Ceratozetidae) are primarily north temperate in distribution, with only two species known from the Neotropics. We describe Trichoribates sidorchukae sp. nov.

Checklist of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) of Canada and Alaska.

This checklist of the oribatid fauna of Canada and Alaska (excluding Astigmata) includes 580 identified species in 249 genera and 96 families. The known fauna of Canada includes 556 identified species in 247 genera, and that of Alaska includes 182 species in 95 genera; 39 of the 42 oribatid superfamilies are represented. We further list ~ 300 species that are currently unidentified, and possibly undescribed.

Acari of Canada.

Summaries of taxonomic knowledge are provided for all acarine groups in Canada, accompanied by references to relevant publications, changes in classification at the family level since 1979, and notes on biology relevant to estimating their diversity. Nearly 3000 described species from 269 families are recorded in the country, representing a 56% increase from the 1917 species reported by Lindquist et al. (1979).

Contribution to the knowledge of the oribatid mite family Nesozetidae (Acari, Oribatida).

A new oribatid mite species of the genus Nesozetes (Oribatida, Nesozetidae) is described from moss (Sphagnum sp.) on the seepage area below a permanent spring in South Africa. Nesozetes membranus sp.

Tegoribatidae of North America, with proposal of gen. nov., and new species (Acari, Oribatida, Tegoribatidae).

The oribatid mite family Tegoribatidae has been represented in continental North America by the genera Tegoribates and Tectoribates. Herein, I describe a new genus of Tegoribatidae from North America, Protectoribates, and two new species: Protectoribates occidentalis sp. nov.

Zealandozetes southensis gen. nov., sp. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Maudheimiidae) from alpine cushions plant in New Zealand.

A new oribatid mite genus, Zealandozetes gen. nov. (Oribatida, Maudheimiidae), with type species Zealandozetes southensis sp.

Sexual dimorphism in Autogneta, with description of three new species from North America and new diagnosis of the genus (Acari, Oribatida, Autognetidae).

Species in the oribatid mite genus Autogneta are primarily Palaearctic, with a few, mainly unidentified records from North America. Strong sexual dimorphism is reported in the genus for the first time; it is expressed by a posterior porose region on the male notogaster that in some species is associated with modifications of notogastral setae hand p. Herein, I describe 3 new dimorphic Autogneta species from North America, based on adult specimens: A.

Revision of Fenestrobates (Acari, Oribatellidae) with description of F. marauni sp. nov., from South America, and new diagnosis for Oribatellidae.

We propose a new species of the oribatid mite genus Fenestrobates (Oribatellidae), F. marauni sp. nov.

Adoribatella, Ferolocella, Joelia and Ophidiotrichus (Acari, Oribatida, Oribatellidae) of North America.

In North America, species diversity in the oribatid family Oribatellidae is primarily in the genus Oribatella Banks, but the genera Adoribatella Woolley, Ferolocella Grabowski, Joelia Oudemans and Ophidiotrichus Grandjean are also represented. I provide detailed diagnoses for these genera and the previously described species, Adoribatella punctata Woolley, known from Colorado and Oregon, USA, and Alberta, Canada, Ferolocella tessalata Berlese known from Missouri, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, Wisconsin, Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas, USA, and Ophidiotrichus exastus Woolley, known from North Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia, USA. I describe Joelia appalachia sp.

Phylogenetic relationships of Tectoribates: nymphal characters of new North American species place the genus in Tegoribatidae (Acari, Oribatida).

Species in the oribatid mite genus Tectoribates are primarily Palaearctic and Neotropical, with scattered, unidentified records from North America. Herein, we describe 3 new Tectoribates species from dry forest and prairie habitats in North America: T. alcecampestris sp.

Revealing the hyperdiverse mite fauna of subarctic Canada through DNA barcoding.

Although mites are one of the most abundant and diverse groups of arthropods, they are rarely targeted for detailed biodiversity surveys due to taxonomic constraints. We address this gap through DNA barcoding, evaluating acarine diversity at Churchill, Manitoba, a site on the tundra-taiga transition. Barcode analysis of 6279 specimens revealed nearly 900 presumptive species of mites with high species turnover between substrates and between forested and non-forested sites.

Oribatid mites in soil toxicity testing-the use of Oppia nitens (C.L. Koch) as a new test species.

Few soil invertebrate species are available for the toxic assessment of soils from boreal or other northern ecozones, yet these soils cover the majority of Canada's landmass as well as significant portions of Eurasia. Oppia nitens (C.L.

Description of a sexually dimorphic oribatid mite (Arachnida: Acari: Oribatida) from canopy habitats of the Ryukyu Archipelago, southwestern Japan.

A new species in the monotypic genus Symbioribates, S. aokii sp. nov.

Does plant species co-occurrence influence soil mite diversity?

Few studies have considered whether plant taxa can be used as predictors of belowground faunal diversity in natural ecosystems. We examined soil mite (Acari) diversity beneath six grass species at the Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas, USA. We tested the hypotheses that soil mite species richness, abundance, and taxonomic diversity are greater (1) beneath grasses in dicultures (different species) compared to monocultures (same species), (2) beneath grasses of higher resource quality (lower C:N) compared to lower resource quality, and (3) beneath heterogeneous mixes of grasses (C3 and C4 grasses growing together) compared to homogeneous mixes (C3 or C4 grasses) using natural occurrences of plant species as treatments.

An experimental assessment of biodiversity and species turnover in terrestrial vs canopy leaf litter.

Forest canopies support diverse assemblages of free-living mites. Recent studies suggest mite species complementarity between canopy and terrestrial soils is as high as 80-90%. However, confounding variation in habitat quality and resource patchiness between ground and canopy has not been controlled in previous comparative studies.