Carabodidae (Acari: Oribatida) from the Galapagos Islands

Four species of Carabodidae were found in the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), among them three species already known from South America: Austrocarabodes (Austrocarabodes) australis (Balogh and Csiszár, 1963), Carabodes (Klapperiches) atrichosus Mahunka, 1984, and Carabodes (Klapperiches) venezolanus Subías and Arillo, 2004. Additional morphological features and taxonomical notes on these species based on specimens from Galapagos are provided. A new species Costacarabodes dampieri n. sp., endemic to the Galapagos archipelago and found mainly in the moist highlands of eight islands, is described and illustrated. Morphological differences between the new species and the known species of the genus Costacarabodes as well as the similarities and differences between the genera Cubabodes and Costacarabodes are highlighted. For all species of the family Carabodidae, recorded from the Galapagos Islands, their known general distribution and preferred microhabitats are listed.