Abstract
AbstractWe present the systematics and ecology of a new species of arboreal oribatid mite in the family Achipteriidae, Anachipteria geminussp. nov., a dominant arthropod in canopy lichens associated with western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. (Pinaceae)) and Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis (Dougl. ex Loud.) Dougl. ex Forbes (Pinaceae)) in the coniferous temperate and montane forests of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The species is described on the basis of the morphology of all active instars plus molecular sequence data for the D3 region of the 28s rRNA (D3-28s) and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) genes. Anachipteria geminus is the dominant oribatid mite in foliose lichens in the upper canopies of Pacific montane conifer trees. Specimens were found in 100% of canopy lichens sampled, and abundances can reach 1450 individuals / 100 g dry mass of lichen. Analysis of the population structure indicates that A. geminus has seasonally stable populations consistent with overlapping generations. Anachipteria geminus expresses morphological character states that require expanding the diagnoses of the genus Anachipteria and the family Achipteriidae. A revised diagnosis and morphological key to species of Anachipteria in Canada are given.
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