Order Mesostigmata Research Articles

Phytoseiid mites of Hakkâri province, with Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) tamaricis Kolodochka, 1982 (Acari: Phytoseidae), a new record for the predatory mite fauna of Turkey

This study was based on 8 species of 5 genera of Phytoseiidae of the order Mesostigmata (Acari) found in 67 samples. These specimens were collected from Hakkari province in 2005 and 2006. Among the species, Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) tamaricis Kolodochka, 1982 is a new record for the Turkish fauna. The descriptions and drawings of female T. (A.) tamaricis are given in this paper. The distribution of each species, worldwide and in Turkey, is also presented.

Arthropods in biodiversity hotspots: the case of the Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata)

The biodiversity hotspot concept was defined by Myers in 1988 to determine priority areas for conservation. They have high endemism levels and have lost more than 70% of their original vegetated area. To date, there is little information on arthropod diversity in these zones. This work focuses on the biodiversity of the Phytoseiidae (Acari), one of the best known among the order Mesostigmata, in these threatened areas. These mites are usually predators and they are worldwide spread. Geographic distribution of phytoseiids in 27 biodiversity hostspots was assessed from data of the last world catalogue published in 2004. One thousand two hundred and thirty species are reported from at least one hotspot (62% of the total species number) and 604 species (30% of the total species number) are endemic to the 27 hotspots considered. The number of reports/publication in hotspot areas (2.6) is higher than in non-hotspot zones (1.5). Hotspots areas could be thus considered as a great reservoir of the Phytoseiidae diversity, just as they are for vertebrates and plants. Correlations between plant, vertebrate, mite diversity and endemism, as well as congruence rates between endemism levels of these three organisms suggest that the biodiversity patterns of plants and vertebrates mirror well those of the Phytoseiidae (both for endemicity and species richness). More intense conservation efforts in biodiversity hotspots would thus be assumed to affect plant and vertebrate biodiversity, as already known, but also arthropod biodiversity, as it was assumed. These results further support thus the importance of these zones in biodiversity conservation, even for organisms like mites, very small and poorly studied in this regards. More data on arthropods are, however, required to confirm these preliminary observations.

Ácaros Mesostigmata (Acari, Mesostigmata) de hábitats seleccionados de La Gomera (islas Canarias, España)

The study of 47 samples from different habitats on La Gomera (Canary Islands), reveals 43 species representing 13 families from the order Mesostigmata. Most species were members of the families Ascidae (11 species) and Laelapidae (9), followed by Macrochelidae and Pachylaelapidae (7 species). The most abundant species (abundance of 9% or greater) found in the collected material are: Gamasiphis pulchellus (Berlese, 1887), Gamasellodes bicolour (Berlese, 1918), Veigaia planicola Berlese, 1892 and Pseudoparasitus dentatus (Halbert, 1920). The species found in the largest number of samples were Uropoda misella (Berlese, 1916) and G. bicolour (21%), V. planicola (19%) and Holoparasitus Oudemans sp . (17%). Fayal-heather and laurisilva, with 36 species, provided the most diverse habitat; 9 species are associated with Erica arborea L., 9 species with Geranium canariensis Reut. and 9 with Sideritis lotsyi (Pitard).

Mite fauna of stored grain seeds in central Iraq

The mite fauna of stored grain seeds was studied in a total of 108 samples of wheat, barley, and rice collected from central Iraq. Sixteen species were recorded during the present study, of which 8 species belonged to the order Mesostigmata, 4 to the order Astigmata, 3 to the order Prostigmata, and one species to the order Cryptostigmata. Ten of the recorded species were new to the Iraqi fauna. The seasonal abundance of these species in each cereal were recorded. The highest number of species and number of individuals were recorded in November on rice.

Antennoseius (Vitzthumia) janus n.sp. (Acari: Ascidae), a mesostigmatic mite exhibiting adult female dimorphism

All instars of Antennoseius janus n.sp are described. Adult females occur as two distinct morphs, a nondispersing female with granular soft integument, barbed dorsal setae, emarginated opisthonotal shield, and fully developed sternal shield, and a dispersing female with smooth soft integument, nearly smooth dorsal setae, entire opisthonotal shield, and reduced sternal shield. Granular morph females begin egg production within 3 days of mating; however, smooth morph females delay reproduction for many weeks, apparently to disperse. Adult males and immatures have a granular soft integument and barbed setae similar to the granular morph females. Females produced in single animal or low density cultures (less than six individuals per culture) with excess food are granular morphs, whereas in more crowded cultures 5–100% of the maturing females are smooth morphs. This is the first example of adult female dimorphism confirmed experimentally for any family of mites in the entire order Mesostigmata of the Acari. The impact of this phenomenon on taxonomic concepts in the genus Antennoseius is discussed. A key is included, which distinguishes between the genera Anystipalpus Berlese, 1911 and Antennoseius Berlese, 1916, between the subgenera Antennoseius s.str. and Vitzthumia Thor, 1930, and between the seven forms of Vitzthumia currently regarded as species. All instars of A. janus are voracious predators of nematodes and small arthropods. Development from egg to adult takes 9–11 days on a diet of rhabditid nematodes at 23 °C. Generation time for granular morph females is about 14 days. Females require insemination before eggs can be laid, and the sex ratio is about 1 male: 1.3 females.

Mesostigmatic mites of Britain and Ireland (Chelicerata: Acari‐Parasitiformes): An introduction to their external morphology and classification

This work provides a practical guide to the external morphology and classification of the mesostigmatic mites of Britain and Ireland. In the account of the external morphology, particular attention is paid to those features which figure prominently in modern classifications of the Mesostigmata, such as, the structure of the gnathosoma, the ontogenetic development of the chaetotaxy of the idiosoma and legs, and the form of body sclerotization. The Order Mesostigmata is represented by five suborders in the fauna of Britain and Ireland; namely, Gamasina, Antennophorina, Microgyniina, Sejina and Uropodina. Keys, accompanied by illustrations, are provided for the identification of suborders, families and genera. A new genus Cornigamasusgen. nov. (type: Gamasus coleoptratorum var. lunaris Berlese, 1882), family Parasitidae, is proposed. Aspects of the biology of the group are discussed under family or superfamily headings. A brief account is given of the methods of collecting, preserving and preparing mites for study.

Stored food mites in Czechoslovakia

In the years 1962–1965 an entomological investigation was made in one hundred and twenty-six food processing factories. Three hundred and eighty-nine samples in ninety-two kinds of substrates were collected in order to determine the mites occurring there. The obtained material contained some 447,600 specimens of mites belonging to forty-two species. Nineteen species belonged to the order Astigmata, eight species to the order Prostigmata, and fifteen species to Mesostigmata. Nine species are new to the fauna of Czechoslovakia. These are the following: Acarus farris (Oud.), Tyrophagus palmarum Oud., Glycyphagus fustifer Oud., Dermatophagoides longior (Berlese), Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes, Cheyletus malaccensis Oud., Cheyletus trouessarti Oud., Acaropsis docta Berlese, Acaropsis solers Kuzin. It was found that acarid mites are still a great problem of stored foodstuffs and food products. They mainly infest flour, grain, and poppy-seed, all kinds of imported and inland oilseeds, especially groundnuts, soya beans, sunflower-seed, cottonseed, and protein poultry feeding mixtures. The most important pests are the species Acarus siro L., Glycyphagus destructor (Schrank), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank), and Gohieria fusca (Oud.). Each of these predominant species was found on a different substrate; Acarus siro on protein mixtures, Glycyphagus destructor on cereals, Tyrophagus putrescentiae on oilseeds, and Gohieria fusca on flour. From the order Prostigmata representants of the family Cheyletidae were commonly found in foodstuffs and the most common of them was Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank). Mites of the order Mesostigmata were found only rarely, mostly in cereals.