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Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographicaNy in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. ProQuest Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 600-521-0600 UMÏ PHYLOGENETICS OF TRIGYNASPIDA (ACARI: MESOSTIGMATA) DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Cheol-Min Kim, B.S., M.S. The Ohio State University 2001 Dissertation Committee: Approved by John W. Wenzel, Co-Adviser [xj. Hans Klompen, Co-Adviser David J. Horn / / Â d v i s ^ Norman F. Johnson Department of Entomology UMI Number 3031216 UMI’ UMI Microform 3031216 Copyright 2002 by Bell & Howell Information and Leaming Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Leaming Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 Copyright by Cheol-Min Kim 2001 ABSTRACT A generally accepted viewpoint on the superfamilial and familial level evolutionary relationships and the classification among the members of the Trigynaspida (Arachnida: Acari: Mesostigmata) has been reassessed and a new paradigm has been proposed based on the results from the study of both morphology and DNA sequences. Morphological study includes 51 taxa and 55 characters, and molecular study includes NS5-NS8 region of 18S (18 taxa, 714 characters) and V-X region of 285 (21 taxa, 738 characters) nuclear ribosomal DNA (rONA) genes. Combined analyses of these data sets (51 taxa, 1507 characters), along with separate analyses of each data set, were also performed. The principle of maximum parsimony was applied to all the analyses as the optimality criterion. The results from morphological, molecular, and combined study supported bifurcating lineages of Cercomegistina and Antennophorina within the monophyletic Trigynaspida. However, currently accepted superfamily of Fedrizzioidea, which contains four families that are associated with passalids (Fedrizziidae and Klinckowstroemiidae), carabids (Promegistidae), and diplopods and squamates (Paramegistidae), is separated into three groups. While Fedrizziidae and Klinckowstroemiidae remain in the current superfamily of Fedrizzioidea, Promegistidae move to Parantennuloidea that displays the association with carabids and ii tenebrionids, and the remaining Parame^stidae stand alone as 3l new superfamily Paramegistoidea. The phylogenetic position of Parantennuloidea was basal within the Antennophorina in morphological analyses but was sister to Paramegistoidea in both molecular and combined analyses. Two strict ant associates, Antennophoroidea and Aenictequoidea, maintained the sister group relationships in all the analyses. This new paradigm is also strongly supported by the information of hosts that are associated with these mites, in which it implies that the wide spread passalid-association was initiated in the early evolution of these mites. The information of the plate tectonics and the global biogeographic patterns among the Trigynaspida and its hosts imply the fact that the origin of Trigynaspida is linked, at the latest, to the early Mesozoic (Upper Triassic). Ill Nature created species; Man created genera. IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There would be nobody who raises the question to argue with the fact that this study was conducted in the dark age of my life. Despite this, this humble piece of work is now being shown up to the world thanks to the invaluable support and assistance from my family, colleagues, friends, and open-minded nameless helpers from all around the world. Without them, this work would have hardly been performed in its present form. In losing my tenure, I thank my adviser and committee members, John Wenzel, Dave Horn, Norm Johnson, and Hans Klompen. Bev 'Wally' Gerdeman not only offered critical materials for the study but very well digested my humor to the world that are often cynical, skeptical, and nihilistic. Thank you, Bev. Dave Walter often gave me the momentum to move forward with this project. I am especially deeply gratitude for his open-heartedness, generosity, and incisive criticism on this research. I am sure that his letter of support allowed me to get my travel grant, which allowed me to perform field work in Australia. It was my own pleasure to be acquainted with Owen Seeman, who not only generously offered some of his collected materials but offered guided field trips along with the information from his specialty. It will always be nice to go into the rainforest with Owen again sometime in the future, I hope. Barry OConnor offered 2 individuals of Antennophorus, a very critical taxon for this study, along with the arrangement of loans of Pyrosejidae and many Costa Rican materials. I just did not have the guts to use only one of them for the DNA study, leaving the voucher specimen of Antennophorus at the UMMZ! Evert Lindquist also kindly offered fresh Costa Rican materials. The next step after this work should be conducting the remaining taxonomic works and to return the borrowed materials to them as quickly as possible. John Moser sent me lots of articles and materials on bark beetle associates. Eddie Ueckermann offered Davacaridae from the Antarctic Marion Islands. Sabina Swift surveyed the reptile collection in Bernice P. Bishop Museum to find Ophiomegistus soaked in formalin for me. Marisa Castagnoli kindly supplied the priceless photographs of Antennomegistus caputcarabi in the Berlese Collection, which allowed me to write a key to the genera of Paramegistidae. Jerry Krantz offered me the permission to use the illustrations in his <Manual>, and kindly answered my questions on many aspects of mites. Dana Wrensch fully supported the use of the late Professor Donald Johnston's figures in his <Atlas>. Dick Funk kindly supplied his Ph.D. dissertation. Steve Passoa gave me assistance in microscopic photography, with open-hearted trust and generosity on all those equipment and parts. Pedro Reyes-Castillo and Alan Gillogly offered invaluable information on the evolution and the origin of Passalidae. Don Yehling collected many mesostigs for me while I was focusing on Mesostigmata in the early days of my orphaned study. Ron Stucky helped me in translating Berlese's Latin literature. Margaret Schneider issued me the export permit for the mites from Down Under. King Wan Wu supplied the list of the specimens of Trigynaspida in the Canadian National Collection. v i I wish to express my sincere thanks to the followings for their generous offering of freshly preserved mites for the study: Todd Blackledge, Carlos H. W. Flechtmann, Chyi-Chen Ho, Rebecca Jolly, Chris Marshall, June Newman, Ron Ochoa, T. Keith Philips, and Ma. Magdalena Vazquez. 1 have to express my sincere thanks to the late Professor Donald Earl Johnston (1934-1994), a mentor, a scholar, and a truly gifted teacher. Although it was somewhat a short period of time, I was just lucky enough to cross his path. This study was supported in part by the Korean Honor Scholarship, Graduate Student International Research Travel Grant, Graduate Student Alumni Research Award, and International Student Grant. The efforts of Katherine Harris and the Suprêmes allowed me to have sporadic intermissions while having somewhat boring time of writing the final draft. I can say to my fellows of America that, however, I did not have any relationship with that woman, and never will. An opportunity to honor the distillers and brewers of those cheap Scotches and Budweisers, which are thought to be useful for the destruction of those obnoxious prions in the brain, should not be ignored. Uncounted hundreds of those beautiful trigynaspids that have been killed for this ruthless work also well-deserve the honor and gratitude. Thank you all. I am a proud Gaean. C-M. Vll VITA January 11,1965 .................................................... Bom - Seoul, Korea 1983-1987 .................................................................B.S., Seoul National University 1987-1989 .................................................................M.S., Seoul National University PUBLICATION Kim, C-M. 1990. A new species of eriophyid mite, Aceria zelkoviana sp. n. (Acari: Eriophyidae) associated with Zelkova serrata Makino (Ulmaceae) from Korea. Internat. J. Acarol. 16(2):85-87. V lll HONORS AND AWARDS Korean