Review of Damaeus (Acari: Oribatida: Damaeidae) from Crimea with description of two new cave-dwelling species
Journal: Zootaxa
Year: 2025

Two new species of Damaeus (Oribatida: Damaeidae)—D. kovali sp. nov. and D. kizilkobensis sp. nov.—are described from Crimean caves. Both new species are specialized cave-dwelling mites (eutroglophiles), without acquiring any obvious troglomorphic features in their morphology. Damaeus kovali sp. nov. undergoes its entire development cycle in caves, and we describe the morphology of all juvenile stages. If D. kizilkobensis sp. nov. also completes its ontogenetic development in caves is unknown, b