Neoribates (Pseudoneoribates)

Ermilov, Sergey G. & Corpuz-Raros, Leonila, 2015, A new subgenus and two new species of oribatid mites of the genus Neoribates (Acari, Oribatida, Parakalummidae) from the Philippines, Zootaxa 3956 (2), pp. 224-238 : 225

Neoribates (Pseudoneoribates) subgen. nov.

Diagnosis. Lamellae represented by strong ridges, straight, located laterally on prodorsum. Prolamellae smoothly fused to lamellae basally and curving backwards in medio-anterior parts. Bothridial setae setiform to indistinct clavate. Notogaster with four pairs of sacculi. Notogastral setae present or represented by alveoli. Anterior parts of pteromorphs rounded. Genital plates with four to five pairs of setae. Legs tridactylous.

Type species. Neoribates (Pseudoneoribates) negrosensis sp. nov.

Etymology. The subgenus-group name Pseudoneoribates refers to the similarity between the new subgenus and the subgenus Neoribates (Neoribates) .

Remarks. Neoribates (Pseudoneoribates) subgen. nov. can clearly be distinguished from the other subgenera of the genus Neoribates by the morphology of prolamellae, which are strong ridges, smoothly fused to lamellae basally and curving backwards in medio-anterior parts (versus prolamellae usually absent; if present – for example, as in Neoribates (Perezinigokalumma) afrum ( Pérez-Íñigo, 1969) , – they are thin, clearly bordered from lamellae, straight and directed to rostrum).

Earlier, such structure of prolamellae as in Neoribates (Pseudoneoribates) subgen. nov. was not noted in Parakalummdae, and it is very rare in Oripodoidea (for example, in Heteroleius flagellifer Mahunka & Mahunka- Papp, 2011). Many Galumnoidea have medio-anterior parts of lamellar lines, which are similar to prolamellae in new subgenus (curving backwards), however, these species belong to another superfamily and their lamellar lines are not divided clearly into lamellae and prolamellae.