Genetic and morphological analysis of some European species of the “coriaceus group” of Carabodes (Acari, Oribatida, Carabodidae) and description of C. tyrrhenicus sp. nov.

The oribatid mite Carabodes reticulatus Berlese, 1913 is redescribed from typical and topotypical material. A new species, C. tyrrhenicus, widespread in Sardinia and other Tyrrhenian islands, is also described on the basis of morphological evidence. Scanning electron microscpy was used to study intra- and inter-specific variation, in order todetermine diagnostic characters. The morphology-based taxonomy was tested through allozyme analysis of the two species and of two closely related species, namely C. coriaceus C.L. Koch, 1836 and C. arduinii Valle, 1955. Allozyme data are largely congruent with morphological evidence, indicating that the four entities represent well-differentiated evolutionary lineages. Molecular results show large inter-specific genetic differentiation, suggesting that these taxa arose from ancient cladogenetic events.