Ethan Kane
Nesbitt (1985) proposed the monotypic genus Bromeliaglyphus for B. monteverdensis,
collected as adults from an unidentified bromeliad plant in the Monteverde
cloud forest in Costa Rica. OConnor in 1990 and OConnor and Ochoa in 1996
collected a total of 30 species of Bromeliaceae at various localities around
Costa Rica, including Monteverde. All bromeliads have been specifically
identified by Dr. J. Francisco Morales of INBio, in San José. Although
we have so far failed to recollect B. monteverdensis, we have collected three new species from bromeliads from
Monteverde, Cerro de la Muerte, and La Selva. In addition to adult specimens,
we have correlated deutonymphs for two of these species. We have also recovered
deutonymphs from a bromeliad-inhabiting beetle, providing the identity of
the phoretic host for one species. In this project, we are redescribing
B. monteverdenesis from the type material, describing the three new species from
all available ontogentic stages and providing identified host plants and
distributional records for the new species. Although forming a morphologically
and ecologically distinctive clade, the sister-group of Bromeliaglyphus
appears to lie within the genus Rhizoglyphus.
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Bromeliaglyphus n. sp. #1 male from Vriesea nephrolepis, Monteverde, Costa Rica
Vriesea nephrolepis
Ron Ochoa with large specimen of Vriesea werkelana, host plant of Bromeliaglyphus n. sp. #2, Monteverde, Costa Rica