Two Arenicolus Species of Actacarus (Acari, Halacaridae) from South Korea

Abstract

Two arenicolus halacarid species, Actacarus ornatus n. sp. and A. pacificus Bartsch, 1979, are recorded from sandy intertidal sediment along the coast of South Korea. Actacarus ornatus n. sp. closely resembles A. karoensis Abé, 1990, recorded from Japan, in having chaetotaxy of the idiosoma, legs, palps of gnathosoma, and perigenital setae in both males and females. However, it differs from A. karoensis by a slightly convex tectum, the presence of a row of foveae on the mid-ventral surfaces of the anterior epimeral plate and genitoanal plate, and the absence of areolae on both the anterior and posterior dorsal plates as well as microplatelets on the membranous cuticle alongside the anterior and posterior dorsal plates. Actacarus pacificus Bartsch, 1979, which is widely distributed in the IndoPacific region, is characterized by separated plates, a truncated tectum, the anterior epimeral plate with four pairs of setae, the posterior epimeral plate with one dorsal and two ventral setae, and three pairs of subgenital setae in males. A comparative analysis of the morphological characteristics of A. pacificus was conducted within regional populations, including the Korean population. Moreover, a key to Actacarus species from the northwestern Pacific, including a new species, is provided. The genus Actacarus is reported for the first time from Korea.