S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 61. (Budapest, 2000)

FOLIA ENTOMOLOGICA HUNGARICA ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK LXI 2000 pp. 55-59 Oribatids from Switzerland VI: a new species of Kaszabobates Balogh, 1972 (Acari: Oribatida, Thyrisomidae) (Acarologica Genavensia XCVIII) S. Mahunka and L. Mahunka-Papp Oribatids from Switzerland VI: a new species of Kaszabobates Balogh, 1972 (Acari: Oribatida, Thyrisomidae) (Acarologica Genavensia XCVIII) - The second species of the genus Kaszabobates Balogh, 1972, K. helveticus sp. n. is described as new for science. Remarks are appended regarding the knowledge of the genus and its allies. With 11 figures. Key words: Acari, Oribatida, Kaszabobates, new species, Switzerland. INTRODUCTION As we have already mentioned several times already mentioned (e.g. Mahunka 1966) we are continuously exploring the Oribatida fauna of Switzerland, the final outcome of which will be the writing of a monograph. However, this project may not be completed within 4-5 years, on the other hand, it would be without reason not to publish the gained results in taxonomy or in some special cases in faunistics and zoogeography. The present part discusses a taxonomically and zoogeographically important and interesting species discovered in Switzerland. The genus Kaszabobates Balogh, 1972 (= Gobiella Balogh et Mahunka, 1965) so far has exclusively been known from Mongolia as monotypic, now a second species came forward from Switzerland. The type species was found in a sample taken from the nests of small mammals. It is quite likely that the sifted material of Switzerland also contained parts of a nest, since several specimens of two Pygmephorus Kramer, 1876 species were present, which are characteristic nidicolous tarsonemids (Heterostigmata: Pygmephoridae). The specimens from Mongolia and Switzerland display but a few differentiating characteristics, consequently, the new species readily fits into the generic diagnosis. It is interesting to mention that meanwhile, again from small mammal nests, Karppinen and Poltavskaja described a highly similar genus and species (Infernobates citelli Karppinen et Poltavskaja, 1990). The separation of the taxa is justified since some fundamental features like the number of the notogastral and anal setae is different from Kaszabobates, on the other hand, many features, e.g. prodorsal sculpture, shape of tri-