A new species of Proctotydaeus Berlese (Acari: Tydeoidea: Iolinidae) from the Australian native stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria (Smith) and Tetragonula hockingsi (Cockerell)

Australia’s first described species of iolinid mite, Proctotydaeus (Proctotydulus) furnarius sp. nov., is described from the nests of the sugarbag bee Tetragonula carbonaria (Smith, 1854), a bee popularly used for beekeeping in eastern Australia. This species also lives in the nests of Tetragonula hockingsi (Cockerell, 1929), as shown by CO1 barcodes for mites from both host bees. All life stages of these mites are found in the brood cells of the bees’ nests where they are probably beneficial fungivores. We summarise records of Proctotydaeus, most of which form either no associations with insects, or are permanent inquilines of bees, scolytine beetles and grasshoppers. We provide an updated key to the subgenera of Proctotydaeus and species of the subgenus Proctotydulus.