Proctolaelaps (Acari: Melicharidae) mites from Africa.

In this paper, two new species of Proctolaelaps Berlese are described. P. vanharteni sp.n. is described from Cape Verde, and P. zaheri AboShnaf & Moraes, n. sp., from Egypt. The second of these species had been inadvertently characterized in detail by AboShnaf & Moraes as P. pygmaeus (Müller). Additionally, Proctolaelaps bickleyi (Bram) is first reported from South Africa. The type species of the genus P. productus Berlese, as well as P. aegyptiacus Nasr (new senior synonym of P. debensis Jordaan and Loots) and P. bickleyi are complementarily described. A key to the Proctolaelaps species reported so far from Africa is given. Publication registration . Taxa registration: Proctolaelaps vanharteni . Proctolaelaps zaheri . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]