Acaroceras (Acaroceras) galapagoensis Schatz & Palacios-Vargas, 1999

Acaroceras galapagoensis: Schatz (1998); Schatz & Palacios-Vargas (1999).

Distribution: Ecuador.

Records in Ecuador: Galápagos (Islas: Fernandina, Floreana, Gardner, Isabela, Pinta, Pinzón, Plaza Sur, Rábida, Santa Cruz, Santiago, Seymour Norte).

Habitat: Isla Fernandina: moist zone western part of the island, near “green crater”, in decayed leaf litter under Zanthoxylum fagara and Psychotria rufipes, in grass litter under Cyperus andersonii, in decayed fern litter under Pteridium aquilinum; open forest, in decayed leaf litter under Pityrogramma calomelos . Isla Floreana: littoral zone, peninsula south of Black Beach, in crevice; in leaf litter under Cryptocarpus pyriformis; arid zone, above Black Beach, around Dr RITTER’S grave, in decayed leaf litter with pieces of wood and humus under Pisonia floribunda and Castela galapageia; agricultural area, highland north of Cerro Pajas, in rotting wood and humus under dead Psidium guajava; trail to finca, in decayed leaf litter and pieces of wood under Kalanchoe pinnata and Croton scouleri; near spring at Asilo de la Paz and near buccaneer caves, in well-decayed leaf litter under Datura stramonion and Lantana camara; Moist highland, northeastern base of Cerro Pajas, in well-decayed leaf litter under Acacia sp. and Croton scouleri . Isla Gardner: near Espanola, littoral zone, northern coast, in partially-decayed leaf litter under Sesuvium portulacastrum . Isla Isabela: V. Wolf, upper arid ( Psychotria) zone, western side, Psidium galapageium forest with Zanthoxylum fagara, Tournefortia sp., Cordia lutea, Macraea laricifolia, in decayed leaf litter and humus; moist zone northeastern slope, open woodland of Scalesia microcephala, Trema micrantha and Pisonia fioribunda, in grass and leaf litter under Tournefortia rufosericea; along eastern crater rim, in decayed fern litter under Pteridium aquilinum and Ipomoea sp.; along southern crater rim, under Cyathea weatherbyana, in moss from rocks and humus; inside small crater near fumarole, in fern litter, in moss and roots; elfin forest inside the main crater, near sulphu rous fumaroles, dense Croton forest with Tournefortia rufosericea, Zanthoxylum fagara, Scalesia microcephala, in decayed leaf litter; inside small crater near fumarole, dense forest of Psychotria rufipes and Scalesia microcephala, in partially-decayed leaf litter and humus; V. Sierra Negra, arid zone, near Quinta Playa, open forest of Scalesia cordata and Pisonia floribunda, in partially-decayed leaf litter and pieces of wood; north of Puerto Villamil, in decaying wood under Prosopis juliflora; transition zone, north of Quinta Playa, dense forest with Scalesia cordata, Tournefortia pubescens, Sapindus saponaria, 200-230 m, in litter and humus on a dead trunk with Peperomia sp. Isla Pinta: moist zone, eastern slope of the main crater, dense forest of Zantoxylum fagara and Pisonia floribunda, in deeper soil layers, among roots; at summit near the main crater, in decayed fern litter with roots and humus under uppermost layer, under Pteridium aqulinum . Isla Pinzón: lower arid zone, eastern part, near islote, in decaying wood and leaf litter under Prosopis juliflora; eastern part, in leaf litter under Croton scouleri, and Cordia lutea; in litter under Sesuvium portulacastrum; upper arid zone, Central valley, several sites, in decayed cactus litter under Opuntia echios var. macrocarpa; in grass litter; in decayed leaf litter and pieces of wood under Acacia macracantha, Croton scouleri, Scalesia incisa, Alternanthera filifolia, A. echinocephala, Prosopis juliflora, Tournefortia pubescens; moist zone, southern crater rim of main caldera, in decayed leaf litter with pieces of wood and humus under Scalesia incisa, Croton scouleri, Lantana peduncularis, Zanthoxylum fagara; above crater, in decayed leaf litter under Sesuvium portulacastrum; in partially decayed fern litter and humus; in moss on Zanthoxylum fagara; southern slope of the island near big rocks, in decayed leaf litter and well developed humus under Cordia leucophlyctis, Croton scouleri, Alternanthera echinocephala; fern litter under Pteridium aquilinum and Peperomia petiolata . Isla Plaza Sur: arid zone, near landing area, in decayed leaf litter with cactus litter and humus under dead Opuntia echios var. echios and Maytenus octogona . Isla Rabida, arid zone, above lagoon in small valley, Bursera graveolens forest with Cordia lutea and Croton scouleri, in partially-decayed grass litter. Isla San Cristóbal: arid zone, south of Wreck Bay, in decayed leaf litter and humus under Parkinsonia aculeata; moist zone, around lake EI Junco, in decayed leaf litter, moss, roots and humus under Miconia robinsoniana; San Joaquin, in well-decayed leaf litter and roots under Cyathea weatherbyana . Isla Santa Cruz: littoral zone, Puerto Ayora, near Charles Darwin Research Station, in leaf litter under Maytenus octogana; in mangrove leaves under Conocarpus erecta and Avicennia germinans; arid zone, north of Research Station, at barranco, in leaf litter and humus under Tournef ortia pubescens, Acacia rorudiana, Scutia pauciflora; between Puerto Ayora and Bellavista, in decayed leaf litter and humus under Tournefortia pubescens, Croton scouleri, Piscidia carthagenensis, Pisonia floribunda, in well-decayed cactus litter under Opuntia echios var. gigantea; northern part of the island, in deeper litter and humus under rocks under Pisonia floribunda; transition zone, around Caseta, in grass and leaf litter under Psidium galapageium; northern part of the island near Los Gemelos, in decaying wood and humus under Pisonia floribunda and Alternanthera filifolia; agricultural area, near Cerro Chato, in decayed grass litter of Pennisetum purpureum; in leaf litter under Zanthoxylum fagara; near Santa Rosa, in grass litter in pasture, moist zones: Scalesia zone, in Scalesia pedunculata forest around Los Gemelos, in decayed leaf, fern, and grass litter; Scalesia forest near Cerro Crocker, in leaf litter, partially with moss and roots; Miconia zone, near Media Luna, in moist leaf and fern litter, partially with moss under Miconia robinsoniana and Pteridium aquilinum; small valley west of Cerro Crocker, in moist patches of Sphagnum; Puntudo, in decayed fern litter under Pteridium aquilinum; in leaf litter under Cinchona succirubra and Furcraea cubensis; around summit, 860 m, in decayed leaf and fern litter under Cyathea weatherbyana with Peperomia galapagensis . Isla Santiago: littoral zone, around lagoon of Playa Espumilla, in partially-decayed mangrove leaf litter under Conocarpus erecta; lower arid zone, at spring below Pan de Azucar, in decayed leaf litter under Clerodendron molle and Heliotropium angiospermium; upper arid zone, western side, trail between Playa Espumilla and Los Aguacates, in leaf litter under Bursera graveolens and Acacia occidentalis . Isla Seymour Norte: littoral zone, southeast corner of the island, near beach, in leaf litter under Cryptocarpus pyriformis .

References: Schatz (1998): 382; Schatz & Palacios-Vargas (1999): 70-75.