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Issue: Vol. 5849 No. 3: 14 Jul. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-07-14
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5849.3.5
Page range: 363-376
Abstract views: 142
PDF downloaded: 15

First records of arboreal oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) in Arsi Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

University of Tyumen; X-BIO Institute; Tyumen; Russia
Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Russian Academy of Sciences; Laboratory of Soil Zoology and General Entomology; Moscow; Russia
Plant Protection Institute; HUN-REN Centre for Agricultural Research; Budapest; Hungary; Széchenyi István University; Department of Plant Sciences; Albert Kázmér Faculty of Mosonmagyaróvár; Mosonmagyaróvár; Hungary
Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Russian Academy of Sciences; Laboratory of Soil Zoology and General Entomology; Moscow; Russia
Acari arboreal habitat acacia trees taxonomy morphology Afrotropical region

Abstract

Prior to this research, no data were available on arboreal mites in the Arsi Mountains National Park, central Ethiopia. A list of six species representing six genera and five families associated with Acacia spp. is presented. Of these, the taxa Eremellidae, Afreremella, A. luisiae, and Scapheremaeus cf. cornutus are reported for the first time for the fauna of Ethiopia. Two new species—Phauloppia arsizonensis sp. nov. (Oribatulidae) and Unguizetes (Unguizetes) acacicus sp. nov. (Mochlozetidae)—are described, based on adult females. Phauloppia arsizonensis sp. nov. is characterized mainly by a narrowly rounded rostrum, short and globose bothridial seta, thickened and heavily barbed lamellar, interlamellar, and notogastral setae, an elongate oval porose area Aa, and a short circumpedal carina. Unguizetes (Unguizetes) acacicus sp. nov. is characterized mainly by a foveolate notogaster and anogenital region, and acicular notogastral setae. Podoribates rectus is transferred to Unguizetes (Unguizetes). Identification keys to the Afrotropical species of Phauloppia and to the known species of Unguizetes are provided.

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How to Cite

Ermilov, S.G., Salavatulin, V.M., Kontschán, J. & Rybalov, L.B. (2026) First records of arboreal oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) in Arsi Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Zootaxa, 5849 (3), 363–376. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5849.3.5