Morphological diversity in Selenoribates (Acari, Oribatida): new species from coasts of the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific

Four new species of the oribatid mite genus Selenoribates from coasts of the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea are described, Selenoribates asmodaeus sp. nov. from Singapore, Selenoribates arotroventer sp. nov. and Selenoribates niccus sp. nov. from the Maldives and Selenoribates divergens sp. nov. from Egypt. Selenoribates asmodaeus sp. nov. shows two horn-like notogastral projections like Selenoribates satanicus Pfingstl, 2013 but differs in the shape of sensillus, number of anal setae and the notogastral cerotegumental pattern. The other three new species are well distinguishable but share a unique character among Selenoribates species, namely branched lamellar and notogastral setae. Based on these new species, Selenoribates shows the highest morphological diversity known among intertidal selenoribatid genera, and this may be related to the small body size of this taxon. A detailed comparison of all described Selenoribates species further revealed three distinct morphological groups; first, a "foveiventris group" including Selenoribates foveiventris Strenzke, 1961, Selenoribates mediterraneus Grandjean, 1966, Selenoribates ghardaqensis Abd-El-Hamid, 1973 and Selenoribates elegans Pfingstl, 2013; second, a "satanicus group" with morphological modifications on the anterior part of the notogaster with Selenoribates quasimodo Pfingstl 2013, S. satanicus and S. asmodaeus sp. nov.; and third, a "divergens group" with branched notogastral setae including S. arotroventer sp. nov., S. divergens sp. nov. and S. niccus sp. nov. An identification key for all species of this genus and a map showing their global distribution are provided. [GRAPHICS]