Morphological ontogeny of Damaeolus ornatissimus (Acari: Oribatida: Damaeolidae), with comments on Damaeolus Paoli

The morphological ontogeny of Damaeolus ornatissimusCsiszar, 1962 from Romania is described and illustrated. The nymphs of this species are quadrideficient and eupheredermous, i.e. they carry the exuvial scalps of previous instars on the gastronotum. The bothridial seta of juveniles is fusiform, with long apical flagellum, and all prodorsal and gastronotal setae are smooth, and some of them are covered with thick layer of granular cerotegument. The larva has polygonal pattern on the gastronotum, two pairs of setae on paraproctal valves and 12 pairs of gastronotal setae, the nymphs have 12 pairs of latter setae. In all instars, seta d on all genua and tibiae is present.