Proctolaelaps epuraeae (Hirschmann, 1962)
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonyms: Lasioseius epuraeae Hirschmann, 1951:197 (MS name); Proctolaelaps epuraeae Hirschmann, 1962:30; Garmania epuraeae (Hirschmann, 1962) [Westerboer, 1963:278]; Garmania (Garmania) epuraeae (Hirschmann, 1962) [Westerboer, 1963:374]; Proctolaelaps epuraeae (Hirschmann, 1962) [Karg 1971:242, 1993:240; Gwiazdowicz, 2007:107; de Moraes et al., 2016:211]; Proctolaelaps (Proctolaelaps) epuraeae (Hirschmann, 1962) [Karg 1985:191, 1988:447]; Proctolaelaps arctorotundus Nikolsky, 1984 [Mašán, 2022]
Proctolaelaps arctorotundus was synonymised with P. epuraeae by (Mašán, 2022).
Conservation Status
Rediscovered (Joharchi et al., 2021)
The species had been reported in the literature since the type series was collected from Germany (e.g. Karg, 1993), but these were considered invalid records by Joharchi et al. (2021) due to the insufficient original description and the lack of comparative material. The exception being Saloña et al. (2010), which Joharchi et al. (2021) did not cite at all, and so this record is of uncertain standing. Joharchi et al. (2021) also reported the global rediscovery of the species.
Distribution & Habitat
Germany, Russia (Western Siberia) & Slovakia
Originally reported from Germany (Hirschmann, 1962; Westerboer, 1963; de Moraes et al., 2016). The species was reported as globally rediscovered from Western Siberia (Joharchi et al., 2021). An historical record from Slovakia has been found to represent a misidentified specimen, but a new record confirms its existence there (Mašán, 2022).
Biology & Ecology
A parasite, with host records including Epuraea fuscicollis (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) (Hirschmann, 1962), and Cucujus sp. (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) (Joharchi et al., 2021).
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Hirschmann, W. (1962). Gangsystematik der Parasitiformes. Teil 5. Gamasiden Ruckenhaarbesttimmungstafeln von 260 Typhlodromus-Arten der Erde. Gange, Chaetotaxie Porotaxie, Mundwerkzeuge von Typhlodromus und verwandten Gattungen von Proctolaelaps, Melichares, Lasioseius, Iphidozercon, Sejus, Rhodacarellus, Rhodacarus, Gamasellus, Veigaia, Macrocheles ivanovi. Erstversuch der Aufstellung eines Gangsystems der Gamasiden aufgrund der Gnathosomaunterseite. Acarologie. Schriftenreihe fur Verglenchende Milbenkunde 5: 1-56.
Other references:
de Moraes, G. J, Britto, E. P. J, de Mineiro, J. L. C. and Halliday, B. (2016). Catalogue of the mite families Ascidae Voigts & Oudemans, Blattisociidae Garman and Melicharidae Hirschmann (Acaria: Mesostigmata). Zootaxa. 4112: 1-299.
Gwiazdowicz, D. J. (2007). Ascid mites (Acari, Mesostigmata) from selected forest ecosystems and microhabitats in Poland. Poznan: Wydawnictwo Akademii Rolniczej Im. Augusta Cieszkowskiego. p. 248.
Hirschmann, W. (1951). Subcorticale Parasitiformes und die Gattung Digamasellus Berlese 1905 [Doctorate Thesis]. Nurnberg (BY): Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultat der Friedrich-Alexander Universitat Erlangen. p. 264. 622 figures.
Joharchi, Omid, Döker, Ismail and Khaustov, Vladimir A. (2021). Rediscovery of two gamasid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with beetles in Western Siberia, Russia. International Journal of Acarology 47(4): 327-338. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647954.2021.1912178
Karg, W. (1971). Acari (Acarina), Milben, Unterordnung Anactinochaeta (Parasitiformes). Die freilebenden Gamasina (Gamasides), Raub-milben. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 59: 1-475.
Karg, W. (1985). Die Raubmilbengattung Proctolaelaps Berlese, 1923. Zoologische Jahrbucher Abteilung fűr Systematik. Őkologie und Geographie der Tiere 112: 185-206.
Karg, W. (1988). Zur Kenntnis der Gattung Proctolaelaps Berlese, 1923 (Acarina, Parasitiformes). Zoologische Jahrbűcher Abteilung fűr Systematik. Őkologie und Geographie der Tiere 115: 441-454.
Karg, W. (1993). Acari (Acarina), Milben Parasitiformes (Anactinochaeta) Cohors Gamasina Leach, Raubmilben. Stuttgart (New York): Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena. p. 523. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands und der angrenzenden Meeresteile nach ihren Merkmalen und ihrer Lebensweise. Teil 59. 2., uberarbeitete Auflage.
Mašán, Peter. (2022). The family Melicharidae (Acari, Mesostigmata) in Slovakia, with description of new species, annotated faunal synopsis and identification keys of species from Europe. Zootaxa 5172(1): 1-449. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5172.1.1
Saloña, Marta I. et al. (2010). Searching the Soil: Forensic Importance of Edaphic Fauna After the Removal of a Corpse. Journal of Forensic Sciences 55(6): 1652-1655. doi:10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01506.x.
Westerboer, I. (1963). Die Familie Podocinidae Berlese 1916. Abschnitt IV, pp. 179-450. In: Stammer HJ, editor. Beiträge zur Systematik und Őkologie mitteleuropäischer Acarina. Band II. Mesostigmata I. Leipzig: Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft Geest and Portig K.- G.