Compactozetes Hammer, 1966

Colloff, Matthew J., 2023, The oribatid mite superfamily Eutegaeoidea (Acari, Oribatida), with descriptions of new taxa from Australia and New Caledonia and a re-assessment of genera and families, Zootaxa 5365 (1), pp. 1-93 : 55-56

Compactozetes Hammer, 1966

Compactozetes Hammer, 1966, p. 76 .

Type species: Compactozetes rotoruensis Hammer, 1966

Diagnosis: the following diagnosis is modified from that of Luxton (1988a). Medium-sized to large oribatid mites (450–1,300 μm); rostrum rounded or acute; apices of lamellae fused with each other and rostrum, forming large paired foramina between lamellae and prodorsum. Lamellar setae located on anterior margin of lamellae or just ventral of it; prodorsum lacking condyles of enantiophyses. Humeral processes with ornate microsculpture of reticulations and striae; apical portion of humeral processes short, not reaching beyond bothridia, medial edge projecting obliquely from dorsosejugal scissure; posterior portion of humeral processes consisting of 2-4 lobes, indicated by thin, semi-transparent cuticle and wavy margin. Notogaster ovoid, with nine pairs of short, smooth setae positioned marginally. Epimeral plates II short and narrow. Pedotectum I with long, stout apical spine; pd II trapezoid or very large, lobe-shaped; discidium lobe-shaped. With six pairs of genital setae, penultimate pair displaced laterally; one pair aggenital setae, two pairs anal setae, three pairs adanal setae. With or without perigenital carina and/or enantiophyses E4. Chelicerae chelate-dentate, of normal proportions. Pre-anal organ oval.

Remarks. Compactozetes can be differentiated from Sadocepheus and Hamotegeus by the different structure of the lamellae. In Compactozetes the anterior lamellae are fused medially with each other, folded ventrally and fused with the rostrum, with large foramina either side of the point of fusion. In Sadocepheus and Hamotegeus the lamellar cusps are free.

Two species groups have been identified: ‘rotoruensis’ which includes C. bundjalung sp. nov., C. pirumorpha sp. nov., C. duonodulus sp. nov. (cf. below), C. niger Hammer, 1966 and C. rotoruensis Hammer, 1966 . In this group, pedotectum II is rectangular with a median indentation. Other members of the genus belong to the ‘zeugus’ species group, which includes C. zeugus Luxton, 1988b , C. calderi sp. nov. (cf. below) and C. goongerah sp. nov. (cf. below). These species have a large blade-like pedotectum I with a prominent, straight spine and pedotectum II is in the form of a large lobed or trapezoid process. Pedotectum II of C. hastatus Hammer, 1973 was not illustrated or mentioned in the description.