Sphaerochthonius litoralis Schatz, 2003

Revelo-Tobar, Harol, 2022, Checklist of Oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) of Ecuador, Zootaxa 5210 (1), pp. 1-96 : 13-14

Sphaerochthonius litoralis Schatz, 2003

Distribution: Neotropical.

Records in Ecuador: Galápagos (Islas: Bartolomé, Floreana, Santa Fé, Genovesa, Rábida, San Cistóbal, Santa Cruz, Sombrero Chino).

Habitat: Isla Bartolome: near Pinnacle Rock, littoral zone, in dry to moist leaf litter under Maytenus octogona , in moist mangrove leaf litter under Laguncularia racemosa . Isla Floreana: (Santa Maria), at flamingo lagoon in Punta Cormoran, littoral zone, in moist, decayed mangrove leaf litter under Laguncularia racemosa . Isla Santa Fé: northeastern part, littoral to arid zone, in dry to moist leaf litter under Cordia lutea . Isla Genovesa: Darwin Bay, littoral zone, lava crevice, in dry to moist decayed leaf litter under Rhizophora mangle ; around Lake Arcturus, in moist, decayed leaf litter and black humus under Rhizophora mangle . Isla Rábida: littoral zone, at flamingo lagoon, in moist, decayed mangrove leaf liner under Rhizophora mangle . Isla San Cristóbal: littoral zone, south of Wreck Bay, behind rocky coast, in moist leaf litter under Conocarpus erecta and Laguncularia racemosa ; in moist and salty, well-decayed leaf litter, humus and rotten wood under Avicennia germinans . Isla Santa Cruz: near Charles Darwin Research Station, in moist leaf litter and humus under Sesuvium portulacostrum , behind coast, in dry to moist, welldecayed leaf litter and pieces of wood under Hippomane manzinella ; Puerto Ayora, near Hotel “Fragata”, littoral zone, at sea level, in moist, decayed mangrove leaf litter under Avicennia germinans , in moist, decayed leaf litter under Sesuvium portulacastrum ; South of Puerto Ayora, “Divine’s Bay”, littoral zone, in moist, partially decayed mangrove leaf litter under Rhizophora mangle ; West of Canal de Itabaca, littoral zone, in moist, partially decayed mangrove leaf litter and sand under Avicennia germinans ; Transition zone near “Caseta”, in dry old dropping of giant tortoise, conlaining digested gras; Moist zone: Scalesia forest near Cerro Crocker, in dry to moist bark, lichens and moss on a Scalesia pedunculata trunk. Isla Sombrero Chino: northern part, near lava flow, littoral zone, in moist, decayed leaf litter and red soil under Sesuvium edmonstonei , in dry to moist, decayed leaf litter and humus under Heliotropium angiospermun .

References: Schatz (2003): 111-118.