Two species of oribatid mites of the genus Malaconothrus from Sichuan Province in the western part of China (Acari: Oribatida: Malaconothridae)

Abstract

Two species belonging to the genus Malaconothrus were described from Sichuan Province in the western part of China. Malaconothrus marginatus sp. nov. is very similar to Malaconothrus japonicus Aoki, 1966 from Gunma Prefecture, central Japan, but is distinguishable from the latter by having small and slender body, long interlamellar setae, protrudent lateral margin of notogaster, 5 pairs of genital setae, short adanal setae. Malaconothrus pygmaeus Aoki, 1969 was originally described from IBP (International Biological Programme) area of Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, and later reported by Wang & Norton (1988) from Jilin and Hubei Province in China.