Report on Two New Members of Family Nothridae (Oribatids), Neonothrus tamilnadensis gen. et sp.nov. & Nothrus rutaceae sp.nov in Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Every year large quantum of various litter material is being added to the soil ecosystem and the rate of decomposition depends on the intensity and nature of soil micro-fauna. The oribatids are often mistaken for small beetles under the class Insecta, due to sclerotization belong to subclass Acari in Arthropoda, cosmopolitan group playing a vital role in decomposition of soil wastes. A systematic survey was carried out and soil samples were collected from various parts of Tamil Nadu, India on different eco systems revealed that prospects of soil oribatids plentiful in soil microfauna consisting twenty families of oribatids viz., Nothridae, Camisiidae, Gymnodamaeidae, Plateremaeidae, Nodocepheidae, Damaeolidae, Otocepheidae, Oppiidae, Passalozetidae, Xylobatidae, Protoribatidae, Areozetidae, Haplozetidea, Scheloribatidae, Chaunoproctidae, Ceratozetidae, Oribatellidae, Ceratokalumnidae, Galuminidae and Epactozetidae. Among the different ecosysytems gardenland, forest areas soil samples were were rich with oribatid population and members of the families Galumnidae, Ceratokalumnidae and Scheloribatidae as predominant outnumbering others by generic richness and individuals. The present study resulted in two new records of one new genus cum species Neonothrus tamilnadensis gen. et sp.nov. and one new species Nothrus rutaceae sp.nov had been reported for the first time in Tamil Nadu with the collection studies belonging to the family Nothridae.