Carabocepheus

Mahunka, S., 1986, A survey of the family Carabodidae C. L. Koch, 1836 (Acari: Oribatida), Acta Zoologica Hungarica 32, pp. 73-135 : 130-131

THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE GENUS CARABOCEPHEUS Berlese , 1913

The genus was established with the description of its type-species [ Carabodes (Carabocepheus) lounsburyi sp. n.] and subsequently as subgenus, it was placed in the genus Carabodes C. L. Koch, 1836 by Berlese (1913). Later Balogh (1961, 1965, 1972) also put it in the family Carabodidae . Balogh and Mahunka (1966) without examining the holotype of the nominate subspecies described a new subspecies from South Africa, but they did not discuss the proper place of the genus.

During my present work I had to deal with this question, and on the ground of the examination of the type material of Carabocepheus lounsburyi latior Balogh et Mahunka, 1966 and of the newly collected material (S. Endrodi and S. Endrödy-Younga of Pretoria) I obtained the following results.

The genus is well distinguished from all other Carabodidae genera and belongs to the relationship of the superfamily Otocepheoidea Balogh, 1961. In my opinion it may not be ranged among the known families therefore, I propose a new family:

CARABOCEPHEIDAE fam. n.

Type genus. Carabocepheus Berlese , 1913