Mesostigmata

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Felicity Crotty

Sejida Trigynaspida Monogynaspida

Cercomegistina Antennophorina Heatherelina Heterozerconina

Microgyniina Uropodina Gamasina

3 Suborders; One main Suborder with 5 Cohorts Trachytidae; Antennophorida; Dithinozerconidae; Epicriidae; Parasitidae Veigaiidae; Ologamasidae; Celaenopsidae Zerconidae Polyaspididae; Rhodacaridae; Protodinychidae; Digamasellidae; Dinychidae; Sejida Macrochelidae; Microgyniidae Trachyuropodidae; Pachylaelapidae; Trematuridae; Eviphididae; Podocinidae; Oplitidae; Laelapidae; Amerosidae; Metagynellidae; Phytoseidae; Ascidae Uropodidae 12 families 10 families 6 SEGMENTED LEGS

Leg segmentation

coxa trochanter femur genu tibia tarsus apotele Tarsus IV ventral setae av4/pv4 on sclerite between basi and telotarsus a key diagnostic feature!

If absent = If present = Monogynaspida Sejida or Majority of UK Trigynaspida species! Generalised venter ring-like coxae II-IV genital sternal opening peritremes shield

genital opening

meta- sternal shield sterno- genital stigmata shield genital shield anal shields

Male anus Female chelicerae excrescence

palptarsal apotele internal mala palp

corniculus sub-gnathosomal setae

leg coxa 1

tritosternum front of sternal shield Hypostomal setae chelicerae

palptarsal apotele

If linear = palp Uropodina Hypostomal setae If triangular = other cohorts within monogynaspida

tritosternum chelicerae excrescence

palptarsal apotele internal mala palp

corniculus sub-gnathosomal setae

leg coxa 1

tritosternum front of sternal shield Uropodid

Bingo I.D character Pedofossa: recesses into which Door- legs can be like withdrawn coxae Epicriina

Bingo I.D character Dorsal shield entire, covered with polygonal network of tubercles

Also identifiers include first pair of setae on small platelets. Parasitina

Males have massive arms!! Leg spurs on leg II

Shield character I.D Apex of epigynal shield triangular and flanked by large metasternal shield bearing metasternal setae Dermanyssina Shields

Oribatida

Day – 3

Felicity Crotty

Endeostigmata Primitive “segmented” – few and rare in soil main group =

Desmonomata

Enarthronota Mixonomata Paleosomata Parhyposomata Nothrina Astigmata

“Lower Oribatids” “Higher Oribatids” Macropyline Brachypyline

5 Supercohorts; One with three cohorts Euphthiracarida; Phthiracaridae; Oribotritiidae; Oribotritiidae; Hydrozetidae; Peloppiidae; Autognetidae; Ctenobelbidae; Suctobelbidae; Caleremaeidae; Micreremidae; Amerobelbidae; Oppiidae; Scutoverticidae; Cepheidae; Tectocepheidae; Carabodidae; Thyrisomidae; Astegistidae; Cepheidae; Quadroppidae; Hermanneiellidae; Damaeidae; Poroliodidae; Eremaeidae; Ameronothridae; Damaeolidae; Cymbaeremaeid; Galumnidae; Microzetidae; Achipteriidae; Haplozetidae; Phenopelopidae; Oribatellidae; Ceratozetidae; Euzetidae; Schleloribatidae; Oribatulidae; Zetomimidae; Limnozetidae; Humerobatidae; Mycobatidae; Chamobatidae; Passlozetidae; Licneremaeidae; Enichthoniidae; Hypochthoniidae; Atopochthoniidae; Cosmochthoniidae; Brachychthoniidae; Gehypochthoniidae; Liacaridae; Gustaviidae; Malaconothrida; Trhypochthoniidae; Eulohmanniidae; Perlohmanniidae; Epilohmanniidae; Nanhermanniidae; Hermanniidae; Camisiidae; Nothridae. Adelphacaridae; Palaeacaridae = 64 FAMILIES Defining characters of the 6 major Oribatid groups

Character Palaeosomata Parhyposomata Mixonomata Desmonomata & Brachypylina Body Weak Weak to Weak to strong Weak to strong Strong Sclerotisation strong Prodorsum Astegasime Steg / Steg / Steg / Stegasime type astegasime astegasime astegasime Body type Dichoid Dichoid / Dichoid / Dichoid / Holoid ptychoid trichoid ptychoid Notogastral Absent or Present (1-3) Present (1) None None Scissures poorly defined Femur Divided fused Fused Fused Fused Opisthosomal Absent Absent Present Present (or Present Gland secondarily lost) Body type

Subcapitulum

Body appears to be divided between legs II-III by a flexible sejugal furrow Body type

Lacks flexible Box mites sejugal furrow

3 segments Body type

Fused coxisternum

Postpedal furrow

Pygidium Circumgastric scissure Pronotaspis Body type

2 3 1 Ventral over-view

camerostome

coxal shields (epimeres) pteromorph

genital ventral shields shield anal shields Genital and anal shields can be touching in some families Dorsal over-view

prodorsum or notaspis

costula (ridge) proterosoma bothridium

sejugal line sensillus or

trichobothrium bothridial seta hysterosoma notogaster View of Oribatid on it’s back STENARTHRIC (ventral view) ANARTHRIC

ANARTHRIC

DIARTHRIC

PELOPSIFORM ATTENUATE- EDENTATE Gnathosoma translamella lamellae Interlamellar setae

sensillus lamellar cusps bothridium

lamellar setae sublamella prolamellae pedotectum (i)

rostrum pteromorph rostral seta tutorium leg I trochanter First step to identification is it…? Lower Oribatid - Macropyline • Genua of all legs similar to tibiae in size and shape (not knee-like) • Leg articulation not in deep acetabula • Trochanters I and II small but clearly external. • Paired aggenital and adanal plates often distinguishable • Coxisternal region often transversely divided by sejugal articulation • Subcaptiulum usually stenarthric Higher Oribatid – Brachypyline • Genua of legs I-III (& often IV) shorter than tibiae and lacking intrinsic musculature – KNEE • Holoid body type • Distinct acetubula with trochanters I and II almost totally contained within • Apodemato-acetabular system of tracheae • Brachypyline venter unified rigid plate • Often evolved chelicerae & subcapitulum modified - diarthric Higher or Lower?

Lower Higher

Genu is similar to other leg segments Genu smaller – leg flexes more here – “has it got knees?”

Genital and anal plates often touch, Genital and anal plates usually separated separate adanal (and/or adgenital) shields and set in a continuous ventral shield

May have soft tissue at ventral sejugal line Never have soft tissue at ventral sejugal line

Never have pteromorphs May have pteromorphs Acetabulum is a concave cavity in the body wall where a leg is inserted; in brachypyline oribatids these cavities are where the trochanter articulates with the coxae (fused to body wall) and may contain tracheal stigmata

Genua knee like Lower? Higher?

genu genu plates well seperated – no extras

shields adjacent – ”extras”

no soft tissue

soft tissue pteromorphs Oribatid Nymphs

• Often only mouth and legs well sclerotised • Give up – or guess based on adults present… • Trichobothria! Astigmatina (or Astigmata in some literature)

Day – 3

Felicity Crotty Euphthiracarida; Phthiracaridae; Oribotritiidae; Oribotritiidae; Hydrozetidae; Peloppiidae; Autognetidae; Ctenobelbidae; Suctobelbidae; Caleremaeidae; Micreremidae; Amerobelbidae; Oppiidae; Scutoverticidae; Cepheidae; Tectocepheidae; CarabodidaeCanestriniidae; Thyrisomidae; Histiostomatidae; Astegistidae; Winterschmidtiidae; Cepheidae; Quadroppidae; Glycophagidae; Hermanneiellidae; Acaridae ; Damaeidae; Poroliodidae; Eremaeidae; Ameronothridae; Damaeolidae; Cymbaeremaeid; Galumnidae; Microzetidae; Achipteriidae; Haplozetidae; Phenopelopidae; Oribatellidae; Ceratozetidae; Euzetidae; Schleloribatidae; Oribatulidae; Zetomimidae; Limnozetidae; Humerobatidae; Mycobatidae; Chamobatidae; Passlozetidae; Licneremaeidae; Enichthoniidae; Hypochthoniidae; Atopochthoniidae; Cosmochthoniidae; Brachychthoniidae; Gehypochthoniidae; Liacaridae; Gustaviidae; Malaconothrida; Trhypochthoniidae; Eulohmanniidae; Perlohmanniidae; Epilohmanniidae; Nanhermanniidae; Hermanniidae; Camisiidae; Nothridae. Astigmatina • Less common in soil • Cohort of Oribatida (in Desmonomata currently) • Weakly sclerotized (white / pale) • Slow moving • Lack respiratory stigmata or tracheae (respire through cuticle) • Lack segmentation • Body divided into 2 main regions gnathosoma and idiosoma (separated by sejugal furrow) Astigmatina

mouthparts single claw thin visible from rutella above apodemes

no trichobothria sejugal furrow

V-shaped genital long suture setae – may be anal barbed shields Astigmatina

• Palps ONLY 2 segmented • Chelicerae are chelate-dentate (3) • Have two genital papillae (4) • Male has aedeagus (4) • Anal opening often flanked by copulatory suckers (6) • A claw at apex of tarsus attached to a fleshy pretarsus, supported by sclerotised condylophores (7) Astigmatina biology

• Complete life cycle in several days to weeks • Lay up to 800 eggs in a month! • Adult average longevity 23-46 days • Have an unusual heteromorphic deutonymphal (often phoretic) • Hypopus – highly resistant to adverse environmental conditions. Lacks mouthparts, often has suckerplate Most important soil genera

• Tyrophagus Once you are certain it • Schwiebea is an Astigmatid , it is very easy to identify • Rhizoglyphus to family AND If you • Glycyphagus are feeling • Lepidoglyphus adventurous, you can • Histiostoma also key to genera!

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Felicity Crotty Labidostommatidae; Cryptognathidae; Eriophyoidea; Penthalodidae; Scutacaridae; ; Pygmephoridae; Acarophenacidae; Calyptostomatidae; Microtrombidiidae; Smarididae; Erythraeidae; Tanaupodidae; Johnstonianidae; Eutrombidiidae; ; Trombidulidae; Anystidae; Cheyletidae; Stigmaeidae; Bdellidae; Cunaxidae; Eupodidae; Penthaleidae; Rhagidiidae; Erynetidae; Tydaeidae; Iolnidae; Triophytdaeidae; = 29 families in UK Order (Prostigmata)

• Predators, parasites, fungivores. • Mostly squashy-looking – poorly sclerotised (some exceptions!) • Often red, but also white, green, black (less often orange or brown) • Broad-shouldered (bell-pepper shaped) • Often a gap between legs ii and iii (two pointing upwards, two downwards) • Mouthparts often highly modified – hard to see, palps with claws etc. Prostigmata

Eupodides Anystides Eleutherengonides Labidostommatides

Anystina Parasitengonina Raphignathina Heterostigmata 4 Supercohorts; two of which have 2 cohorts within them • Labidostommatides “Arnie” mite • Eupodina Earth Mites, Snout Mites and allies – soil and caves • Anystina Whirligig Mites – surface and plants • Parasitengona Velvet mites – surface and plants • Rhaphignathina Stigmaeid mites and allies – plants and soil. • Heterostigmatina often tiny mites – plants and soil Anystina (Anystidae) – whirligig mites Prostigmata

Eupodides Anystides Eleutherengonides Labidostommatides

Anystina Parasitengonina Raphignathina Heterostigmata 4 Supercohorts; two of which have 2 cohorts within them • Labidostommatides “Arnie” mite • Eupodina Earth Mites, Snout Mites and allies – soil and caves • Anystina Whirligig Mites – surface and plants • Parasitengona Velvet mites – surface and plants • Rhaphignathina Stigmaeid mites and allies – plants and soil. • Heterostigmatina often tiny mites – plants and soil Eupodina – Snout mites, Earth Mites etc. Comparative Characters Prostigmata

Eupodina Anystid Parasitengona Raphignathae Heterostigmata Palp 4 5 5 5 3 max segments Palp tibia Linear Thumb claw Thumb claw Thumb claw No stigmata Base of Base of Absent Base of Anterior lateral on chelicera chelicera chelicera propodorsoma F Peritremes No Yes No Yes No Naso Yes Yes Yes No No Pairs of 1,2 1 1,2 0 0 imm; 1 F; 0 M trichobothria Empodial No No No Yes No (II, III tenant hairs membraneous) palp tibial palp chelicera claw tarsus

peritreme naso subgnatho- 44 trichobothria soma eyes fused coxae genital shields legs II-III separate

empodium paired anus genital claws papillae

Endeostig

Prostig Examples of palp thumbclaw Peritremes Stigmata

Two different naming systems! Same segmentation on palp

5 free leg segments

Coxa fused to ventral idiosoma Paired claws Paired claws and empodium Solenidia

Different types of setae and Trichobothria (arrow) Famulus If Solenidia is supposed to be “Recumbent”, it is lying down alongside leg Duplex setae: Normal setae alongside a Solenidia Labidostomatidae

• 1 family • Medium to large sclerotized mites • “Arnie” mite – look like it has a 6 pack! – Coxal fields expanded • 2 pairs prodorsal trichobothria • Palps linear • Cheliceral bases separate, digits enlarged and chelate-dentate • Legs I tactile; legs II-IV walking • Predator Parasitengona

• Members of this group are well known to non- acarologists as velvet mites! • Red or green • Stigmata & peritremes located between cheliceral bases • Palp thumbclaw well developed • 1 or 2 prodorsal trichobothria • Genital papillae usually present Heterostigmata

• Very common • Minute to medium sized • Capitulum head-like • Palps linear and reduced to 3 or fewer segments • F: stigmata anterolaterally (on shoulders) of prodorsum. • Legs I often with tarsal claw as modified hook • F: legs IV often reduced or absent Major character systems in Prostigmata • Chelicerae modified e.g. fused together / subcapitulum; reduction of fixed digit (Prostigmata are mainly fluid feeders) • Modification of the palp • Body setation • Leg setation • Modification of the pretarsus Acknowledgments

Soil Mite Experts Cal Welbourne Valerie Behan-Pelletier Roy Norton David Walter