Mesostigmatid mites (Acari: Parasitiformes) associated with yew (Taxus baccata) in England and Wales

Abstract

The mesostigmatid mites associated with yew at four localities in England and Wales are listed. There are 116 species, including one genus and 20 species newly recorded for the British Isles. The list is annotated with corrections to specific identities which have previously appeared in the British literature and with known geographical and habitat distributions in the British Isles. The relative abundance of species in the sample units is also noted. The most widespread species are Pergamasus crassipes, Proctolaelaps pygmaeus, Veigaia nemorensis and Veigaia planicola. The most frequent species are Veigaia nemorensis, Veigaia planicola, Uropoda (Uropoda) minima, Paragamasus lapponicus, Proctolaelaps pygmaeus and Cosmolaelaps claviger. There is a distinct difference in diversity between ‘forest yews’ and ‘solitary yews’ with the latter supporting more species. It is suggested that immigration into the environment of the solitary yews via phoresy or aeolian dissemination may be easier than it is to the more protected environment of forest yews. Paragamasus rothamstedensis (Bhattacharyya, 1963) is relegated to a junior synonym since it has been established that its male is that of P. londonensis (Bhattacharyya, 1963) and its female is that of P. nathistmus (Bhattacharyya, 1963).