Myrmozercon Berlese, 1902

Shaw, Matthew D. & Seeman, Owen D., 2009, Two new species of Myrmozercon (Acari: Laelapidae) from Australian ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 2025, pp. 43-55 : 44

Myrmozercon Berlese, 1902

Type species: Myrmozercon brevipes Berlese, 1902 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Melittiphine laelapid mites. Adult female with dorsal shield oval, ovate, subcircular (or obovate in the case of M. acuminatus ), posterior margin often uneven or invaginated; dorsal setation variable, often hypertrichous, but sometimes hypotrichous; fimbriations of internal malae highly reduced or absent; deutosternal groove with>7 rows of numerous denticles; chelicerae reduced or membranous, usually edentate and with reduced fixed digit, rarely with weak teeth; palp trochanter most often with one seta (v2 absent); dorsodistal edge of palp femur often with a distinct swelling internal to condyle; peritremes short, usually not extending anterior to coxa II; tarsi with well-developed ambulacral pads but usually weak to absent claws; posterolateral corners of sternal shield often fused to endopodal elements, sternal shield usually bearing three pairs of setae; st4 often absent; genito-ventral shield broad, usually bearing only st5; soft ventral cuticle with moderate to extensive hypertrichy or with strong hypotrichy, anal shield bearing only circum-anal setae. Male with sterno-genital shield and separate anal shield, or in the case of M. robustisetae , a small ventri-anal shield.

Remarks. This diagnosis is taken from Walter (2003) with the following modifications: dorsum can be ovate or obovate; dorsal shield may be invaginated posteriorly; dorsal setation may be hypotrichous; palp trochanter not always with just one seta; dorsodistal edge of palp femur often bears distinct swelling internal to condyle; sternal shield not always fused to endopodal elements, and ventral cuticle may be hypotrichous.