Oribatid mites are small soil arthropods, representatives of the Acariformes family. Despite their microscopic size (rarely more than 1 mm in length), oribatids are one of the numerous and most important groups of soil microfauna. They are found all over the world, living in the upper soil horizons, plant litter, leaf litter, mosses and lichens. Currently, there are more than 10 thousand species of oribatid mites from almost 200 families, but it is clear that there are still a large number of species unknown to science, which scientists have yet to discover and describe.
In 2024, a series of papers was published that expanded our knowledge of the diversity of the fauna of oribatid mites in Ethiopia. Based on the results of studying forest litter and plant litter samples, 16 new species of oribatid mites (Oribatida) from 7 families were described. The material was collected in different years during the Joint Russian-Ethiopian Biological Expedition.
The faunistic data of oribatid mites for different regions of Ethiopia (Bale, Arsi, Gambela, Amhara) are presented, and lists of species for these territories are given. The works provide detailed descriptions and drawings of new species. The identification keys for some genera have been updated. For many species, both newly described and previously known, previously unknown juvenile stages - larvae and nymphs of different ages - are described.
Publications:
Ermilov S.G., Kolesnikov V.B., Rybalov L.B. 2024. New Damaeidae (Acari, Oribatida) from Ethiopia // Systematic and Applied Acarology. V. 29. Is. 8. P. 1174-1189. DOI: 10.11158/saa.29.8.9
Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B. 2024. Faunistic and taxonomic data on oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Central Ethiopia // Acarina. V.32. Is. 1. P. 3-11. DOI: 10.21684/0132-8077-2024-32-1-3-11
Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B. 2024. New faunistic and taxonomic data on oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Ethiopia: results of the joint Russian-Ethiopian biological expedition in Arsi Mountains National Park // International Journal of Acarology. V. 50. Is. 5. P. 463-471. DOI: 10.1080/01647954.2024.2360974
Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B. 2024. New faunistic and taxonomic data on oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from the Gambela region, Western Ethiopia // Persian Journal of Acarology. V. 13. Is. 3. P. 395-407. DOI: 10.22073/pja.v13i3.85548
Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B. 2024. New faunistic and taxonomic data on oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Ethiopia: results of the Joint Russian-Ethiopian Biological Expedition in Bale Mountains National Park (2023) // Acarologia. V. 64. Is. 3. P. 891-906. DOI: 10.24349/9pxq-zt3r
Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Kuzmicheva E.A. 2024. New afroalpine Oppiidae (Acari, Oribatida) from Ethiopia // Systematic and Applied Acarology. V. 29. Is. 8. P. 1106-1115. DOI: 10.11158/saa.29.8.5
Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Kuzmicheva E.A. 2024. New species and record of oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from highlands bamboo location in Ethiopia // Systematic and Applied Acarology. Vol. 29. Is. 9 (2024). P. 1297–1309. DOI: 10.11158/saa.29.9.7
Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Kuzmicheva E.A. 2024. First record of Malgachebates (Acari, Oribatida, Plasmobatidae) from Ethiopia, with description of a new species based on adult and nymphs // International Journal of Acarology. V. 50. Is. 6. P. 522-529. DOI: 10.1080/01647954.2024.2380292
Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Kuzmicheva E.A. 2024. New Scheloribates (Acari, Oribatida, Scheloribatidae) from Ethiopia // Zootaxa. V. 5492. Is. 2. P. 176-190. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5492.2.2
Ermilov S.G., Rybalov L.B., Sharapov D.V. 2024. Ontogenetic instars of Ethiovertex africanus (Evans, 1953) (Acari, Oribatida, Scutoverticidae) // Acarologia. V. 64. Is. 2. P. 525-541. DOI: 10.24349/85g3-w1c8