EREMAEIDAE (ACARI, ORIBATIDA) OF NORTH-AMERICA

The oribatid family Eremaeidae is represented in North America by two genera, Eremaeus and Eueremaeus, both widely distributed throughout th e Palaearctic and Nearctic regions. In North America species in both g enera are found in moist to arid habitats from New Mexico to the High Arctic. Reproduction is sexual, and both immatures and adults feed mai nly on fungi. Revised diagnoses are presented for the Eremaeidae and g enera Eremaeus and Eueremaeus. Eighteen species of Eremaeus, of which 14 are newly proposed, and 24 species of Eueremaeus, of which 15 are n ewly proposed, are recognized. Identification keys are provided for th e world genera of Eremaeidae, and for adults of Eremaeus and Eueremaeu s of North America. All but one North American species of these genera are described, and their geographical distributions mapped. North Ame rican Eremaeus species include E. appalachicus sp. nov., E. boreomonta nus sp. nov., E. brevitarsus (Ewing), E. californiensis sp. nov., E. g racilis sp. nov., E. grandis Hammer, E. kananaskis sp. nov., E. kevani sp. nov., E. megistos sp. nov., E. monticolus sp. nov., E. nortoni sp . nov., E. occidentalis sp. nov., E. oresbios sp. nov., E. plumosus Wo olley, E. porosus sp. nov., E. salish sp. nov., E. translamellatus Ham mer, and E. walteri sp. nov. The immatures of four of these, E. kanana skis, E. occidentalis, E. oresbios, and E. translamellatus, are descri bed. North American Eueremaeus include Eu. acostulatus sp. nov., Eu. a ridulus sp. nov., Eu. columbianus (Berlese), Eu. foveolatus (Hammer), Eu. marshalli sp. nov., Eu. masinasin sp. nov., Eu. michaeli sp. nov., Eu. nahani sp. nov., Eu. nemoralis sp. nov., Eu. proximus (Berlese) c omb. nov., Eu. woolleyi (Higgins) comb. nov., Eu. yukonensis sp. nov., and three informal species groups with the following included species in North America: (1) Eu. trionus group-Eu. trionus (Higgins) comb. n ov., (2) Eu. stiktos group Eu. carinatus sp. nov., Eu. higginsi sp. no v., Eu. stiktos (Higgins) comb. nov., Eu. tetrosus (Higgins) comb. nov ., (3) Eu. chiatous group Eu. alvordensis sp. nov., Eu. aysineep sp. n ov., Eu. chiatous (Higgins) comb. nov., Eu. danos sp. nov., Eu. lindqu isti sp. nov., Eu. magniporosus (Wallwork) comb. nov., and Eu. osoyoos ensis sp. nov. The immatures of nine of these, En. masinasin, Eu. naha ni, Eu. carinatus, Eu. higginsi, Eu. columbianus, Eu. proximus, Eu. wo olleyi, Eu. stiktos, and Eu. tetrosus, are described. Kartoeremaeus re evesi Higgins and Eremaeus politus Banks are considered junior subject ive synonyms of Eueremaeus columbianus (Berlese). A cladistic analysis of the genera comprising Eremaeidae: Eremaeus, Tricheremaeus, Euerema eus (and included species groups), Proteremaeus, Carinabella, and Aspe remaeus, indicates that Eremaeus is the sister taxon of Carinabella, a nd that Eueremaeus is the sister taxon of Proteremaeus. Tricheremaeus is the sister taxon of Eremaeus + Carinabella, and Asperemaeus is the sister taxon of Eueremaeus + Proteremaeus. The relationship of the Ere maeidae to the Megeremaeidae and Zetorchestidae is presented. Finally, I discuss the ecology and distribution of North American species of E remaeidae.