THE SEMIAQUATIC GENUS TEGEOCRANELLUS (ACARI, ORIBATIDA, AMERONOTHROIDEA) OF NORTH AND CENTRAL-AMERICA

Species of the oribatid mite genus Tegeocranellus from North and Centr al America are discussed, and immatures are described for the first ti me, Six new species are described and keyed: Tegeocranellus alas from Costa Rica, T. barbarae from Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida, T. ket hleyi from Alabama and Mississippi, T. mississippii from Louisiana and Texas, T. muscorum known from Ontario to Florida, and T. mediolamella tus from Guatemala. Descriptions of T. alas, T. barbarae, T. mediolame llatus, and T. muscorum are based on adults and immatures, and those o f the other two species on adults only. I expand the generic diagnosis to include information on the apheredermous, plicate immatures, and p resent a character analysis hypothesizing that the monogeneric family Tegeocranellidae is a member of the Ameronothroidea, closely related t o Selenoribatidae and Fortuyniidae.