Mesostigmata
Day – 3
Felicity Crotty Mesostigmata
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Bingo I.D character Pedofossa: recesses into which Door- legs can be like withdrawn coxae Epicriina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” mites – few and rare in soil Sarcoptiformes main group = Oribatida
Desmonomata
Enarthronota Mixonomata Paleosomata Parhyposomata Nothrina Brachypylina 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 Enarthronota 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)
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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 mite, it is very easy to identify • Rhizoglyphus to family AND If you • Glycyphagus are feeling • Lepidoglyphus adventurous, you can • Histiostoma also key to genera! Prostigmata
Day – 3
Felicity Crotty Labidostommatidae; Cryptognathidae; Eriophyoidea; Penthalodidae; Scutacaridae; Tarsonemidae; Pygmephoridae; Acarophenacidae; Calyptostomatidae; Microtrombidiidae; Smarididae; Erythraeidae; Tanaupodidae; Johnstonianidae; Eutrombidiidae; Trombidiidae; Trombidulidae; Anystidae; Cheyletidae; Stigmaeidae; Bdellidae; Cunaxidae; Eupodidae; Penthaleidae; Rhagidiidae; Erynetidae; Tydaeidae; Iolnidae; Triophytdaeidae; = 29 families in UK Order Trombidiformes (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