<strong>Morphological ontogeny, distribution and ecology of <em>Damaeus torquisetosus</em> and <em>Epidamaeus puritanicus</em> (Acari: Oribatidae: Damaeidae)</strong>

Abstract

Abstract The morphological ontogeny, distribution and ecology of Damaeus torquisetosus (Mihelcic, 1955) and Epidamaeus puritanicus (Banks, 1906) were investigated. In the juveniles of D. torquisetosus the legs are longer than the main body, especially leg IV, the prodorsal setae are of medium size, except for short seta in in nymphs, the dorsal setae on gastronotum are long or very long, except for distinctly shorter setae c3 and h2 in larva, seta h3 absent in larva, most gastronotal setae are curved, finely barbed, with flagellate distal part and inserted on apophyses, the cornicle is straight and situated between setal pair lm and epimeral setae are of different lengths. Juveniles of D. torquisetosus differ from the known juveniles of other Damaeus species in the following: absence of seta h3 in the larva, but present in other Dameus species, seta c3 in nymphs is of medium size whereas in most other species it is short. In the juveniles of E. puritanicus legs I, III and IV are as long or slightly longer...