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Zoogeography of the ptyctimous mites (Acari: Oribatida) of Madagascar and other eastern Africa islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2007

Wojciech Niedbala
Wojciech Niedbala*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Szamarzewskiego 91a, 60-569, Poznan, Poland
*
*Email: niedbala@amu.edu.pl
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Abstract

On the island of Madagascar and five neighbouring islands: Aldabra, the Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion and the Seychelles, the number of hitherto found Ptyctima species is 57, including 37 Phthiracaroidea (of which ten are new to science), 18 Euphthiracaroidea (one new to science) and two Mesoplophoroidea. Of those 57 species, 30 are endemic (53%), ten Ethiopian species (17%), 12 pantropical species (21%) three oriental (5%) and two semicosmopolitan (3%). Endemism of Phthiracaroidea (62%) is similar to Euphthiracaroidea (59%). Similarity between the ptyctimous fauna of Madagascar and the neighbouring islands is very small—only one or two species are common. Moreover, the fauna of Mauritius is completely different from that of Madagascar. The ptyctimous fauna of Madagascar and the near islands must have been shaped before separation of Madagascar from Africa, which is suggested by the presence of the phylogenetically oldest and the youngest genera of Phthiracaroidea and Euphthiracaroidea. On the other hand, a large number of species of late derived genera Notophthiracarus and Hoplophorella may indicate a relatively late colonization of the islands by Phthiracaroidea. Dispersion of Ptyctima onto Madagascar and the neighbouring islands took place from the east—the Oriental region or from the south—the Australian region.

Keywords

AcariPtyctimaMadagascaroriginzoogeography
Type
Short Communication
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , December 2004 , pp. 330 - 335
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2004

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