L. Forró szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 12. 1998 (Budapest, 1998)

Mahunka, S.; Mejia-Recamier, B. E.: Two new protoplophorid oribatids from Mexico (Acari: Oribatida)

MISCELLANEA ZOOLOGICA HUNGARICA Tomus 12. 1998 p. 61-66 Two new protoplophorid oribatids from Mexico (Acari: Oribatida)

1 by S. Mahunka and B. E. Mejia-Recamier (Received May 11, 1998) Abstract: Descriptions are given of two new oribatid species, belonging to the family Protoplophoridae Grandjean: Bursoplophora muraiae sp. n. and Proiotritia (Prototritia) palaciosi sp. n. Aedoplophora Grandjean, 1932, recently synonymised with Prototritia Berlese, 1910 genus is reconstructed as a subgenus. Key words: Acari, Oribatida, Protoplophoridae, new species, Mexico Introduction In the framework of the project supported by the Hungarian Commission of the Technical Development (OMFB) and the Mexican CONACyT we studied the connection between the vegetation and the oribatid fauna of Mexico. As it was previously reported in several publications (Borhidi et al. 1996, Borhidi & Mahunka 1997) investigations were carried out at several assigned sampling sites, UNAM Chamela Biological Station at Jalisco was one of them. The results of this project were published in several scientific papers (e.g. Mahunka & Palacios-Vargas 1996). The above mentioned Biological Station of UNAM is located at Jalisco in a dry forest "bosque espinoso seco" near the seaside. In the soil samples collected here species of primitive taxa (e.g. Protoplophorida) were found in especially high numbers, and interestingly the number of individuals in these otherwise rare species was also remarkably high. A Haplochthoniidae species was described earlier (Mahunka & Mejia-Recamier 1998), now we will deal with species of the Protoplophoridae family: a Bursoplophora Subias & PérezIhigo, 1978 and a Prototritia (Prototritia) Berlese, 1910 species are described here. The occurrence of this family was formerly recorded (Palacios-Vargas 1994), in the literature a Protoplophora sp. is mentioned. The members of this family have outstanding importance for the phylogenetic system. Several special forms are known, and some authors, especially Grandjean (e.g. 1932, 1954) and Bernini (1983) dealt with them in detail. The value of the features used in their identification is still debated, numerous changes are expected following the description of the new taxa. This time in the Bursoplophora Subias & Pérez-Inigo, 1978 genus several features were found that had been formerly used by the taxonomists for the separation of supraspecific taxa (number of setae in the coxisternal region and on the ano-adanal plate), but it is clear now, that these features in this family can only be used after further investigations, but not as especially reliable distinguishing characters. 1 Project: Biodiversity of Mexican mites (see Borhidi et al. 1996). CONACyT, Mexico - OMFB, Hungary. This work was also sponsored by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA 16729).