Carolinea 74

Carolinea 74 (2016): 53-102, 18 Abb.; Karlsruhe, 15.12.2016 53 Tokukobelba gen. nov. (Acari: Oribatida: Damaeidae) R aymond A. L amos Abstract Tokukobelba is proposed as a new genus in the ori- batid mite family Damaeidae B erlese , 1896. The spe- cies Tokukobelba compta ( K ulczy ń ski , 1902) comb. nov. is redescribed based on specimens collected in Heidelberg in Germany. The distinguishing traits of Tokukobelba , which include the presence of prodorsal apophyses Aa and Ap, the occurrence of only 2 setae on femur IV, and a solenidion coupled with the dorsal seta d on the tibiae of legs I-IV are most unusual for a damaeid mite. The taxonomy and evolutionary system- atics of the new genus are discussed. Evidence from comparative morphology suggests a basal position of Tokukobelba within its family. Kurzfassung Tokukobelba gen. nov. (Acari: Oribatida: Damaeidae) Tokukobelba wird als neue Gattung der Oribatidenfami- lie Damaeidae B erlese , 1896 vorgestellt. Basierend auf Fundmaterial aus Heidelberg wird die Art Tokukobelba compta ( K ulczy ń ski , 1902) comb. nov. neu beschrieben. Die kennzeichnenden Merkmale von Tokukobelba wie die Anwesenheit der prodorsalen Apophysen Aa und Ap, ein Femur IV mit nur 2 Borsten und ein Solenidion gekoppelt mit einer Dorsalborste d auf Tibiae I-IV sind sehr ungewöhnlich für eine damaeide Milbe. Die Taxo- nomie und evolutionäre Systematik der neuen Gattung werden diskutiert. Die vergleichende Morphologie deu- tet auf eine basale Stellung von Tokukobelba innerhalb der Damaeidae. Author R aymond A. L amos , Rosenstr. 21, 68199 Mannheim, E-Mail: rayla121 @ yahoo.com Contents 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . 53 2 Material and methods . . . . . . . 54 3 Proposal of a new genus: Tokukobelba gen. nov. . . . . . . . 55 4 Description of Tokukobelba compta specimens from Heidelberg . . . . . 61 5 Taxonomy of Tokukobelba . . . . . . . . . 77 6 Comparative morphology and evolu- tionary systematics of Tokukobelba . . 82 References . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . 101 1 Introduction Belba von H eyden , 1826, is a genus within the mite family Damaeidae B erlese , 1896.The genus is rich in species and shows its greatest diversity in the temperate to boreal regions of the Palae- arctic ( K ulczy ń ski 1902a, M ärkel & M eyer 1960, B ulanova - Z achvatkina 1962, 1967, 1975, E nami 1989, 1994, T olstikov 1996, T olstikov & L yash - chev 1996, W ang & N orton 1995, B ayartogtokh 2000a, 2004a) although some Belba species have also been recorded from the USA and Can- ada ( B anks 1904, N orton 1977a, 1979b, 1979c, M arshall et al. 1987, L indo & W inchester 2006), from the volcano Popocatepetl in Mexico ( N orton & P alacios - V argas 1982) and from montane rain- forest in Costa Rica and Panama ( S chatz 2006). A concise review of the complex systematics of Belba is presented by B ayartogtokh (2000), who contributed significantly towards furthering our knowledge of the Damaeidae. More than 100 species have been combined with Belba during the previous three centuries. A great number of these presently are synonyms of other species, reside in other genera, like Damaeus australis ( B anks , 1895) ( N orton 1978a) and Kunstidamae­ us lengersdorfi ( W illmann , 1932) ( M iko 2006a), or are species inquirenda such as Belba bulbipeda­ ta P ackard , 1887 ( M ichael 1898), and Belba lon­ gipes B erlese , 1884 ( M ahunka & M ahunka - P app 1995). B ayartogtokh (2000, p. 298), building on B ulano - va - Z achvatkina (1962, 1967, 1975) and N orton (1979c), diagnosed Belba as follows: trochanteral setation 1-1-2-1, rarely 1-1-2-2; genual setation 4-4-3-3, genual associated setal formula 1-1-1- 0; tibial associated setal formula 0-1-1-1, one or more rarely two pairs of prodorsal tubercles (Ba, Da) present in the dorsosejugal area or tubercles absent, tubercle Bp mostly absent; propodola- teral apophysis P mostly absent; spinae adnatae usually absent, very rarely present. It is apparent that the genus lacks strong, convincing derived features and is primarily defined by traits which have a high likelyhood of being plesiomorph for the Damaeidae ( N orton 1977a).