Carolinea 74

L amos : Tokukobelba gen. nov. (Acari: Oribatida: Damaeidae) 55 3 Proposal of a new genus Tokukobelba gen. nov. Type species: Belba mongolica B ayartogtokh , 2000. This species is described in: International Jour- nal of Acarology 26(4), pp. 309-312, 316. The holotype and a paratype of the type species of Tokukobelba are located in the Acarology Col- lection of the Department of Zoology, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Two further paratypes are to be found in the Col- lection of the National Science Museum, Tokyo, Japan. The type locality is the Khonin Nuga area, District Mandal, Province Selenge, Mongolia, 1.950 m above sea level. Type and paratypes were collected by K . U lykpan on 16.5.1998 from litter of coniferous forest of Larix sibiricus and Abies sp. Etymology The genus is named in honour of the Japanese agricultural scientist and acarologist T okuko F u - jikawa . Gender feminine. Diagnosis Adults of Tokukobelba gen. nov. are unique among the Damaeidae in displaying the follow- ing combination of character states: apophyses Aa and Ap of prodorsal enantiophysis present; centroprodorsal groove deep and distinct; apo- physis P absent; apophysis Ba present, Bp rarely present; interbothridial protuberance present; spinae adnatae absent; most or all epimeral se- tae inserted on greatly enlarged tubercles; com- plete ventrosejugal enantiophysis present with apophysis Va multituberculate, Vp monotuber- culate; apophysis E4a mostly present; epimeral groove IV very distinct; epimeral setation 3-1-3-3; acetabular tecta and lateral epimeres with strik- ing verrucose or rarely alveolar sculpturing; tro- chanteral setation 1-1-2-1; femur I with 7 setae; femur III generally with 3 setae (d, ev´, l´) and femur IV with 2 setae (d, ev´); genual setation 4-4-3-3; genual associated setation 1-1-1-0; tibial associated setal formula mostly 1-1-1-1, rarely 0-1-1-1; setae d of tibiae II-IV regressed, very thin, short, with seta d of tibia IV less than 1/5 the length of its coupled solenidion φ , the latter elongate, tactile, 1,4 to 2 x the length of tibia IV; tarsi of legs I and II with 22 and 18 setae respec- tively, including famulus, with setae v2´ and v2´´ both present on tarsus I and v2´ on tarsus II; tarsi III and IV each with a single pair of ventral se- tae and a total 17 and 14 setae each; palptarsus without subultimal seta sul and with ventral seta v2´. Nymphs of Tokukobelba differ from those of other damaeids in having: prodorsum with a scle- rotized cerotegumental cap anteromediad the bothridia; palptarsus without seta sul and with seta v2´; distance between notogastral setae c1-c2 = 0,3x c2-la; seta c3 elongate, measuring 0,6 x body length. Differentiation from Belba Tokukobelba adults differ from those of Belba in displaying the following traits, most of which are exceptionally rare in damaeid mites: 1) apo- physes Aa and Ap of prodorsal enantiophysis present; 2) palptarsus without seta sul and with v2´; 3) verrucose or alveolate sculpturing on acetabular tecta and epimeres; 4) epimeral seta- tion 3-1-3-3; 5) epimeral setae mostly all associ- ated with very large tubercles 6) epimeral groove IV strongly developed; 7) apophysis Va multi- tuberculate; 8) apophysis E4a mostly present; 9) femur III usually with 3 and femur IV with 2 setae respectively; 10) tibial associated setation 1-1-1-1 in some and possibly all species; 11) as- sociated setae d of tibiae II-IV regressed, very thin, short; 12) solenidion φ of tibia IV elongate, tactile; 13) tarsal setation 22-18-17-14 with se- tae (v2) present on tarsus I and v2´ on tarsus II. Tokukobelba nymphs differ from those of Belba in: 1) palptarsus without seta sul and with v2´; 2) presence of a prodorsal cerotegumental cap; 3) seta l´ of femora I and II protonymphal in origin 4) presence of very elongate setae c3. Belba corynopus , the type species and refer- ence point for Belba contrasts to Tokukobelba in numerous further traits such as: 1) presence of epimeral neotrichy with an epimeral setation 4-4-4-4; 2) elevated femoral setation of 7-7-5-5; 3) tarsal setation 20-17-16-13 with only v1´ found on each of tarsi III and IV and v1´´ absent; 4) sen- sillus straight rodlike; 5) bothridia located at lat- eral margin of prodorsum and laterally directed; 6) prodorsal tubercle Ba extremely laterally situ- ated; 7) notogaster asymmetrically dome shaped and very high in lateral perspective with ratio of height to length being about 0,7:1; 8) noto- gaster carries nymphal exuviae and a compact mass of debris; 9) notogastral setae of c, l- and h-series short, distinctly attenuate and spinelike; 10) insertions of setae ad1-ad3 equidistant from margin of anal plate; 11) presence of nymphal tracheal vestibules; 12) seta h1 of nymphs ex-