Family: Mycobatidae
Taxonomy: This is one of only two species in the genus and three species in this family found at La Selva. The description of the species is in Behan-Pelletier (1998), which also includes a comparison with the second Lamellobates species at La Selva: L. intermedius Nubel-Reidelbach and Woas (1992). The family placement of this genus is questionable, and will probably be revised when immatures are discovered.
Habitat: This is a rare species at La Selva because it is not found in either primary or secondary forest. Rather, it is found on grasses in old pasture fields, such as those at Sendero Tres Rios 4300, and from Retana and Gramalote (Paspalum fasciculatum (Gramineae)) in an old field in Annexo Flaminia, by Rio Puerto Viejo. It is most easily collected by extracting the above-ground parts of grasses in Berlese extractors.
Lamellobates intermedius has also been collected from the same habitat as L. reticulatus, but a few specimens of the former species have been found in soil of primary and secondary forest, from litter in the axil of Palmas sp., from Begoniaceae along the old farm road and from the Rigidoporus biokoensis fungus.
Ecology: This species feeds on fungi, possibly grazing phytopathogenic fungi on the grass leaves. Only females of this species have been collected so far, and it is possible that this species and others in the genus are thelytokous.
References:
Behan-Pelletier VM 1998. Ceratozetoidea (Acari: Oribatida) of lowland tropical rainforest, La Selva, Costa Rica. Acarologia 39: 349-381.
Nubel-Reidelbach E. and Woas St. 1992. Eimige basale Arten der cepheiden und der pterogasterinen Entwicklungslinie der Höheren Oribatiden (Acari, Oribatei). Andrias, 9: 75-119.