Abstract
A new species of Ophiomegistus, O. spectabilis, is described from New Guinea. This represents the 13th species of this genus from New Guinea skinks. A re-evaluation of host and locality data for the genus shows a host range restricted to squamates, especially skinks, but no obvious specificity for individual skink species. Specificity for small geographical areas seems more likely.
References
Domrow, R. (1978) The genus Ophiomegistus Banks (Acari: Paramegistidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, 17, 113–124.
Domrow, R. (1984) Acari from Operation Drake in New Guinea. 3. Paramegistidae. Acarologia, Paris, 25, 5–16.
Evans, G.O. (1963a) Observations on the chaetotaxy of the legs in free-living Gamasina (Acari: Mesostigmata). Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History, Zoology, 10, 277–303.
Evans, G.O. (1963b) Some observations on the chaetotaxy of the pedipalps on the Mesostigmata (Acari). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Ser. 13), 6, 513–527.
Evans, G.O. (1965) The ontogenetic development of the chaetotaxy of the tarsi of legs II–IV in the Antennophorina (Acari: Mesostigmata). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 13, 13, 81–83.
Evans, G.O. (1969) Observations on the ontogenetic development of the chaetotaxy of the tarsi of legs II–IV in the Mesostigmata (Acari). In G. O. Evans (Ed.) Proceedings of the 2nd International Congress of Acarology. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, pp. 195–200.
Goff, M.L. (1979) Four new species of Ophiomegistus (Acari: Paramegistidae) from skinks (Lacertilia: Scincidae) in Papua New Guinea, a new record of Ophiomegistus keithi, and a key to the species. Journal of Medical Entomology, 16, 512–523.
Goff, M.L. (1980a) A new species of Ophiomegistus (Acari: Paramegistidae) from a Malaysian kukri snake. Pacific Insects, 22, 380–384.
Goff, M.L. (1980b) The genus Ophiomegistus (Acari: Paramegistidae), with descriptions of five new species, a new structure and a key to the species. Journal of Medical Entomology, 17, 398–410.
Greer, A.E. (1979) A phylogenetic subdivision of Australian skinks. Records of the Australian Museum, 32, 339–371.
Greer, A.E. (1989) The biology and evolution of Australian lizards. Surrey Beatty and Sons, Chipping Norton, NSW.
Greer, A.E. (2001) Distribution of maximum snout-vent-length among species of scincid lizards. Journal of Herpetology, 35, 383–395.
Gunther, C.E.M. (1942) New parasitid mites from New Guinea (Acarina: Parasitidae). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 67, 87–89.
Hutchinson, M. (1993) Family Scincidae. Fauna of Australia. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, pp. 261–279.
Kim, C.-M. & Klompen, H. (2002) A new genus and species of Paramegistidae (Mesostigmata: Trigynaspida) associated with millipedes from Mexico. Acarologia, Paris, 42, 39–52.
Lindquist, E.E. & Evans, G.O. (1965) Taxonomic concepts in the Ascidae, with a modified setal nomenclature for the idiosoma of the Gamasina (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada, 47, 1–64.
Mittermeier, R.A. & Mittermeier, C.G. (1997) Megadiversity: Earth's biologically wealthiest nations. CEMEX, Mexico City, Mexico.
Mittermeier, R.A., Myers, N., Thomsen, J.B., da Fonseca, G.A.B. & Olivieri, S. (1998) Biodiversity hotspots and major tropical areas: approaches to setting conservation priorities. Conservation Biology, 12, 516–520.
Voss, W.J. (1966) Three trigynaspid mites from Philippine reptiles (Acarina: Paramegistidae). Journal of Medical Entomology, 3, 261–268.
Womersley, H. (1958) Some new or little known Mesostigmata (Acarina) from Australia, New Zealand and Malaya. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 81, 115–130.
Zug, G.R., Vitt, L.J. & Caldwell, J.P. (2001) Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Academic Press.