Occurrences of Erythracarus Nasutus Otto, 1999 (Anystoidea: Anystidae) in underground environments in Brazil

Abstract

This work presents the first occurrences of acarids of the species Erythracarus nasutus (Trombidiforme: Anystidae) collected in different caves in Brazil. Furthermore, some morphologic aspects are presented regarding the sexual dimorphism of the species. Differently from the females, the male naso is obtuse, not presenting an enlngated projection. The male of the species presents an obtuse naso, while the females have the elongated naso. The specimens were found in 91 caves in the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Pará and Rio Grande do Norte, besides 18 artificial underground caves in the state of Minas Gerais. The specimens were collected walking freely on the soil, in organic plant remains, such as, guano, organic plant matter, among others. The Brazilian underground caves are little explored locals that serve as refuge for a large number of invertebrate species, among them the acarids. In spite of the growing knowledge of the fauna present in these Brazilian caves, many taxonomic groups, mainly the small invertebrates, urgently need more professionals who are qualified to identify their species.