Mating behavior in the tydeid miteHomeopronematus anconai (Acari: Tydeidae)

Abstract

Knop, N.F., 1985. Mating behaviour in the tydeid mite Homeopronematus anconai (Acari: Tydeidae). Exp. Appl. Acarol., 1: 115--125.The mating behavior of Homeopronematus (Pronematus) anconai (Baker) is described. This is the first report of direct sperm transfer in the family Tydeidae (Acari: Actinedida). Male guarding of pharate females and male agonistic behavior was observed. Successful mating occurred only during the first day of active female life. Specialized male structures, a hook on femur IV and a modified seta on genu IV, were examined by scanning electron microscope. These structures appear to be involved in holding the female during copulation. INTRODUCTIONSperm transfer methods vary considerably among the few mites and ticks (subclass Acari) that have been studied (Krantz, 1978). In the suborders Gamasida and Ixodida (Order Parasitiformes), sperm is transferred to the female genital or extragenital opening, usually with the male chelicerae. In the order Acariformes, suborder Oribatida, males simply deposit spermato:~ phores on the substrate which are then picked up by females. In the sub: order Acaridida, copulation occurs and sperm is transferred directly, with or without packaging in a spermatophore (Griffiths and Boczek, 1977). However, generalizations cannot be made for the very diverse suborder Actinedi: da. Thus, spermatophores may be deposited on the substrate in the absence of females as in Trombicula splendens Ewing (Trombiculidae) (Lipovsky et al., 1957) and in six species representing all three families of Eriophyoidea (Oldfield et al., 1970); only in the presence of females as in Balaustium sp. (Erythraeidae) (Putman, 1966); while in direct contact with the female as in Saxidromus delamarei Coineau (Adamystidae) (Coineau, 1976); or sperm may be transferred directly via an intromittent organ as in the Tetranychidae (Boudreaux, 1963), Tarsonemidae (Cooper, 1937) and Cheyletidae . Evolutionary diversity is not the only explanation for this variation in the Actinedida. In fact, several of these sperm transfer methods occur within single genera of the Hydrachnellidae (Davids and Belier, 1979

Συμβολη Στην Ταξινομηση Και Μελετη Των Τροφικων Απαιτησεων Των Tydei- Dae (Acari:prostigmata) Της Ελλαδος

“…ΓΝΑΘΟΣΩΜΑ -Η χαιτοταξία της ποδοπροσακχρίδας είναι (6-2-2) και το σωληνίδιο ω. Στο άκρο του ταρσού παρατηρείται διπλό ευπαθήδιο (ρζ). (Knop, 1985).…”

“…Οι μελέτες των προαναφερθέντων, αλλά και άλλων ερευνητών αφορούν κυρίως τη συστηματική των ειδών Tydeidae σε διάφορες περιοχές. Ορισμένες επίσης μελέτες έχουν γίνει σχετικά με τη μορφολογία των ακάρεων αυτών (Grandjean, 1938a,b,c;André, 1981a,b;Kazmierski, 1989b) ενώ, οι μελέτες γύρω από τη βιολογία και οικολογία των Tydeidae είναι περιορισμένες και αφορούν ορισμένα ευρέως διαδεδομένα είδη (Brickhill, 1958;Zäher & Shehata, 1963;Zaher étal., 1971;Knop & Hoy, 1983c;Knop, 1985;Hessein & Perring, 1986). Η ταξινόμηση των Tydeidae βασίζεται κυρίως στη μελέτη μορφολογικών χαρακτήρων.…”