A new species of Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till (Acari: Laelapidae) associated with an endemic bess beetle (Coleoptera: Passalidae) in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

A new mite species, Gaeolaelaps leptaulax n. sp., collected on an endemic bess beetle, Leptaulax koreanus Nomura, Kon, Johki & Lee (Coleoptera: Passalidae), from Republic of Korea is described and illustrated based on morphological characters of female, male and protonymph specimens. In addition, an identification key to all known Korean species of the Gaeolaelaps is presented, and ambiguities on the identification of some previously recorded species of the genus are discussed.