| abstract | In the present paper the new species Ceratozetes psammophilus is described, an oribatid mite assigned to pterogasteri- na evolutionary level within the „Oribates supérieurs" sensu Grandjean. The new species prefers deeper sandy soil layers in an open scotch-pine forest. It is possible to separate it from closely related species by a combination of characters and structural conditions of the adults and the tritonymphs as well.
The suggestion is discussed to integrate Ceratozetes armatus Mihelcic, 1956; C. obtusus Mihelcic, 1956; C. campestris Mihelcic, 1956; C. japonicus Aoki, 1960 and the new species into a species-group with C. mediocris Berlese, 1908 as key- species. Considering the unsatisfactory documentation of discriminating diagnostic characters of the species metioned above, further investigation has to be established with regard to the question, whether C. mediocris is to be considered as a polytypic cosmopolitan species. Thus the other species mentioned above consequently have to be classified as local morphia. |