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

Abstract

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.

Two new species of Gaeolaelaps (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) from Iran, with a revised generic concept and notes on significant morphological characters in the genus

“…Gaeolaelaps, as currently defined, may not be monophyletic, since our concept is based on a combination of plesiomorphies and homoplasies that occur in other laelapid genera. This is probably why Evans & Till (1979) refrained from giving generic status to Gaeolaelaps (and clumping it with Hypoaspis s. str., Alloparasitus and Hypoaspisella), while giving generic status to most other taxa mentioned as Hypoaspis subgenera in (see also Till, 1963.…”

“…The two notation systems could be reconciled in the future, and correspondence in notation established. The system suggested by Hirschmann (1960) and Hirschmann & Wiśniewski (1982) for Digamasellidae may also have its use (and see Evans & Till (1979) for an outline of Hirschman's system; note that Krantz & Redmond (1987) appear to have used the Evans & Till (1979) notation for their own study), but unfortunately does not distinguish between poroids and true (gland) pores. In any case, comparative study of gland pores and proprioceptors (poroids) across mesostigmatan taxa may give us useful insight in their relationships, as implied by Athias-Henriot's research (e.g.…”

Diversity of edaphic Rhodacaroid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata: Rhodacaroidea) in natural ecosystems in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

“…55 o C. Extracted Mesostigmata were mounted in Hoyer's medium (Krantz 1978). Rhodacaroids were separated from other groups and adults were identified to genera and morphospecies based primarily on the works of Lee (1966Lee ( , 1970Lee ( , 1973, Loots & Ryke (1967a, b), Evans & Till (1979), and Karg (1976Karg ( , 1993Karg ( , 1996Karg ( , 2000. Representative samples of each morphospecies are deposited in the reference collection of Setor de Zoologia, Departamento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola, ESALQ -Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, State of São Paulo.…”

Chaetotaxy, Biometry and Biology of a Holotype: Cunexa Terminalae Sp. Nov. Collected From Terminalia Arjuna in Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve.

“…The species was belonging to Cunaxidae family. The species is close to Cunaxa potchensis Den Heyer (1979) but differs in having setae D 4 and D 5 smooth and not stipulate as well as in Chaetotaxy of palp. It also differs from Cunaxa setirostris (Hermann) in lacking long seta on palptarsus and lacking strong spine like seta on palp genu.…”