Distribution of Cosmochthonius species (Oribatida: Cosmochthoniidae) in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, Ukraine and Tajikistan

Eleven species of the genus Cosmochthonius have been recorded in the eastern Mediterranean and in some parts of the former Soviet Union. Five of these species [C. reticulatus Grandjean, C. foliatus Subias, C. lanatus (Michael), C. semifoveolatus Subias, and C. asiaticus Gordeeva] have been found in the western Mediterranean as well, whereas the other six species (C. ugamaensis Gordeeva, C. zanini Niemi & Gordeeva, C. macrosetosus Ayyildiz & Luxton, C. tenuisetosus Gordeeva, C. taurus Niemi, Gordeeva & Ayyildiz, and C. ponticus Gordeeva) can be considered to be endemic. The most common species in the eastern Mediterranean was C. reticulatus. It was found on the Mediterranean islands (Crete, Cyprus, Rhodes, Symi-Rhodes, and Lesvos) and in the coastal zone of Turkey and the Ukraine. In contrast to this distribution, the species C. foliatus seemed to be absent from these islands and from the coastal zone of Turkey, but it regularly occurred in the southern and southeastern Crimea, Ukraine. The exact locations of the species found in the eastern region are documented here, and the habitus of eight species is presentedin the form of SEM micrographs.