The fossil record of the family Camerobiidae has been represented by only one species, Neophyllobius succineusBolland and Magowski, 1990, described from Eocene Baltic amber. These prostigmatan mites are distinguishable by their distinctly long and slender stilt-like legs, and they are associated with aboveground vegetation where they hunt for other small invertebrates. This paper enhances the knowledge of fossil stilt-legged mites. Two new fossil species, N. electrus new species and N. glaesus new species, are described from samples of Baltic amber, and remarks on their morphology and taphonomy are provided. The discovery is complemented with a discussion on morphological singularities (the shape of the prodorsum, the location of setae h1 and h2 in living specimens, and lengths of genual setae), an anomaly of hypertrophied seta (found in the N. glaesus holotype), and some biogeographical issues.
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15 July 2020
New fossil stilt-legged mites of Neophyllobius Berlese, 1886 (Acariformes, Camerobiidae) from Eocene Baltic amber
Mateusz Zmudzinski
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Journal of Paleontology
Vol. 94 • No. 4
July 2020
Vol. 94 • No. 4
July 2020