Acariformes

Acariformes; Temporal range: Devonian–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Trombidium holosericeum ; (Trombidiformes: Trombidiidae)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Superorder:	Acariformes ; Zakhvatkin, 1952
Clades and orders
	Endeostigmata (probably paraphyletic); Eriophyoidea ; Sarcoptiformes Astigmatina ; Oribatida ; ; Trombidiformes Prostigmata ; Sphaerolichida ; ;

Last updated October 26, 2023

The Acariformes, also known as the Actinotrichida, are the more diverse of the two superorders of mites. Over 32,000 described species are found in 351 families, with an estimated total of 440,000 to 929,000 species, including undescribed species.

Systematics and taxonomy

The Acariformes can be divided into two main clades – Sarcoptiformes and Trombidiformes. In addition, a paraphyletic group containing primitive forms, the Endeostigmata, was formerly also considered distinct. The latter is composed of only 10 families of little-studied, minute, soft-bodied mites that ingest solid food, such as fungi, algae, and soft-bodied invertebrates such as nematodes, rotifers, and tardigrades. These clades were formerly considered suborders, but this does not allow for a sufficiently precise classification of the mites and is abolished in more modern treatments; the Endeostigmata are variously considered to form a suborder on their own (the old view) or are included mainly in the Sarcoptiformes, thus making both groups monophyletic.^[1] The superfamily Eriophyoidea, traditionally considered members of the Trombidiformes, have been found to be basal mites in genomic analyses, sister to the clade containing Sarcoptiformes and Trombidiformes.^[2]

Another group often mentioned is the Actinedida, but in treatments like the present one, this is split up between the Sarcoptiformes (and formerly the separate Endeostigmata) and Trombidiformes (which contains the bulk of the "Actinedida"), because it appears to be a massively paraphyletic "wastebin taxon", uniting all Acariformes that are not "typical" Oribatida and Astigmatina.^[1]^[3] The Trombidiformes present their own problems. The small group Sphaerolichida appears to be the most ancient lineage among them. However, the Prostigmata are variously subdivided into the Anystina and Eleutherengona, and Eupodina. The delimitation and interrelationships of these groups are entirely unclear; while most analyses find one of the latter two, but not the other to be a subgroup of the Anystina; neither of these mutually contradicting hypotheses is very robust; possibly this is a simple error because phylogenetic software usually fails in handling nondichotomous phylogenies. Consequently, it may be best for the time being to consider each of the three main prostigmatan lineages to be equally distinct from the other two.^[3]

Fossil record

The oldest fossils of acariform mites are from the Rhynie Chert, Scotland, which dates to the early Devonian, around 410 million years ago^[4]^[5] The Cretaceous Immensmaris chewbaccei had idiosoma of more than 8 mm (0.31 in) in length and was the largest fossil acariform mite and also the largest erythraeoid mite ever recorded.^[6]

Diversity

The Sarcoptiformes ingest solid food, being mainly microherbivores, fungivores and detritivores. Some Astigmatina – the Psoroptidia – have become associated with vertebrates and nest-building insects. These include the well known house dust mites, scab mites and mange mites, stored product mites, feather mites and some fur mites. The relationships between their main groups are not well-resolved and subject to revision. In particular it appears as if the Oribatida need to be split up in two, as the Astigmatina are closer to some of them (e.g. certain Desmonomata) than the latter are to other "Oribatida".

The Trombidiformes are most noted for the economic damage caused by many plant parasite species. All of the most important plant pests among the Acari are trombidiformans, such as spider mites (Tetranychidae) and Eriophyidae. Many species are also predators, fungivores, and animal parasites. Some of the most conspicuous species of free-living mites are the relatively large and bright red velvet mites, that belong to the family Trombidiidae.

Oribatid mites and to a much lesser extent others are a source of alkaloids in poison frogs (namely small species like the strawberry poison-dart frog Oophaga pumilio). Such frogs raised without these oribatids in their diets do not develop the strong poisons associated with them in the wild.^[7]

Parthenogenesis

Acariformes species appear to have evolved from a sexual ancestor and the primary manner of reproduction during the course of evolution has been sexual reproduction.^[8] However, within the super order Acariformes, parthenogenetic species have arisen numerous times during the course of evolution.^[8] In contrast to the commonly held view that parthenogenetic lineages are short lived, four species-rich parthenogenetic clusters of the order Oribatida are very ancient and likely arose 400-300 million years ago.^[8] In some parthenogenetic species that undergo automixis (a kind of self-fertilization that retains meiosis) sexual reproduction has re-emerged.

Examples

Eriophyidae, plant parasites, e.g. Acalitus essigi (redberry mite)

Sarcoptiformes

Trombidiformes

Demodecidae, e.g. Demodex mites
Erythraeidae
Labidostommatidae
Polydiscia deuterosminthurus
Smarididae
Spider mites, e.g. Tetranychus urticae
Tarsonemidae, a number of which are plant pests, e.g. Acarapis woodi
Tydeidae

Related Research Articles

Mites are small arachnids. Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as each other's closest relative within Arachnida, rendering the group non-monophyletic. Most mites are tiny, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) in length, and have a simple, unsegmented body plan. The small size of most species makes them easily overlooked; some species live in water, many live in soil as decomposers, others live on plants, sometimes creating galls, while others again are predators or parasites. This last type includes the commercially destructive Varroa parasite of honey bees, as well as scabies mites of humans. Most species are harmless to humans, but a few are associated with allergies or may transmit diseases.

Acariasis is an infestation with mites.

Parasitiformes are a superorder of Arachnids, constituting one of the two major groups of mites, alongside Acariformes. Parasitiformes has, at times, been classified at the rank of order or suborder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oribatida</span> Order of mites

Oribatida, also known as oribatid mites, moss mites or beetle mites, are an order of mites, in the "chewing Acariformes" clade Sarcoptiformes. They range in size from 0.2 to 1.4 millimetres. There are currently 12,000 species that have been identified, but researchers estimate that there may be anywhere from 60,000 to 120,000 total species. Oribatid mites are by far the most prevalent of all arthropods in forest soils, and are essential for breaking down organic detritus and distributing fungi.

Tydeidae is a family of acariform mites. As of 2016, it contained over 300 species in three subfamilies, though more species have been discovered since then.

Astigmatina is a clade of mites in the superorder Acariformes. Astigmata has been ranked as an order or suborder in the past, but was lowered to the unranked clade Astigmatina of the clade Desmonomatides in the order Sarcoptiformes. Astigmatina is now made up of the two groups Acaridia and Psoroptidia, which have been suborders of the order Astigmata in the past. Astigmatina contains about 10 superfamilies and 76 families under Acaridia and Psoroptidia.

Eriophyoidea are a superfamily of herbivorous mites. All post-embryonic instars lack the third and fourth pairs of legs, and the respiratory system is also absent.

The Prostigmata is a suborder of mites belonging to the order Trombidiformes, which contains the "sucking" members of the "true mites" (Acariformes).

The Raphignathoidea is a superfamily of the Acari (mite) order Trombidiformes, comprising 1087 species in 62 genera and 12 families.

The Trombidiformes are a large, diverse order of mites.

Hydrachnidia, also known as "water mites", Hydrachnidiae, Hydracarina or Hydrachnellae, are among the most abundant and diverse groups of benthic arthropods, composed of 6,000 described species from 57 families. As water mites of Africa, Asia, and South America have not been well-studied, the numbers are likely to be far greater. Other taxa of parasitengone mites include species with semi-aquatic habits, but only the Hydracarina are properly subaquatic. Water mites follow the general Parasitengona life cycle: active larva, inactive (calyptostasic) protonymph, active deutonymph, inactive tritonymph and active adult. Usually, larvae are parasites, while deutonymphs and adults are predators.

Archegozetes longisetosus is a species of tropical moss mite in the family Trhypochthoniidae. It has been used as a model organism and has been found to have a very high pulling strength relative to its size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damaeidae</span> Family of mites

Damaeidae Berlese (1896) is a family of mites. Alternative names for the family include Belbidae Willmann (1931), and Belbodamaeidae Bulanova-Zachvatkina (1967) or Hungarobelbidae (1996). They had been previously considered to be distinct families.

Plateremaeidae is a family of oribatids in the order Sarcoptiformes. There are about 7 genera and 19 described species in Plateremaeidae.

Winterschmidtiidae is a family of mites in the order Astigmata.

Halacaridae is a family of meiobenthic mites found in marine, brackish, and freshwater habitats around the world. It includes more than 1100 described species belonging to 64 genera It is the largest marine radiation of arachnids.

Bdellidae is a family of snout mites in the order Trombidiformes. There are about 11 genera and at least 260 described species in Bdellidae.

Neotrombidiidae is a family of velvet mites and chiggers in the order Trombidiformes. There are at least four genera in Neotrombidiidae.

Oripodoidea is a superfamily of oribatids in the order Oribatida. There are about 19 families and at least 1,300 described species in Oripodoidea.

Kiwalges haastii is a species of New Zealand feather mite in the superfamily Analgoidea, known only from the great spotted kiwi, from which it derives its name.

References

1 2 Heather Proctor (August 9, 1998). "Acariformes. The "mite-like" mites". Tree of Life Web Project . Archived from the original on 2 January 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
↑ Arribas, Paula; Andújar, Carmelo; Moraza, María Lourdes; Linard, Benjamin; Emerson, Brent C; Vogler, Alfried P (2020-03-01). Teeling, Emma (ed.). "Mitochondrial Metagenomics Reveals the Ancient Origin and Phylodiversity of Soil Mites and Provides a Phylogeny of the Acari". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 37 (3): 683–694. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msz255 . hdl: 10261/209118 . ISSN 0737-4038. PMID 31670799.
1 2 Heather Proctor (August 9, 1998). "Trombidiformes. Trombidiform mites". Tree of Life Web Project . Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
↑ Dunlop JA, Garwood RJ (2017-12-18). "Terrestrial invertebrates in the Rhynie chert ecosystem". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 373 (1739): 20160493. doi:10.1098/rstb.2016.0493. ISSN 0962-8436. PMC 5745329 . PMID 29254958.
↑ Sidorchuk EA (2018-11-17). "Mites as fossils: forever small?". International Journal of Acarology. 44 (8): 349–359. doi:10.1080/01647954.2018.1497085. ISSN 0164-7954. S2CID 92357151.
↑ J. A. Dunlop, K. Frahnert, and J. Makol. 2018. A giant mite in Cretaceous Burmese amber. Fossil Record 21:285-290
↑ Ralph A. Saporito; Maureen A. Donnelly; Roy A. Norton; H. Martin Garraffo; Thomas F. Spande; John W. Daly (2007). "Oribatid mites as a major dietary source for alkaloids in poison frogs" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 104 (21): 8885–8890. Bibcode:2007PNAS..104.8885S. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0702851104 . PMC 1885597 . PMID 17502597.
1 2 3 Pachl, Patrick; Uusitalo, Matti; Scheu, Stefan; Schaefer, Ina; Maraun, Mark (2020-11-20). "Repeated convergent evolution of parthenogenesis in Acariformes (Acari)". Ecology and Evolution. 11 (1): 321–337. doi:10.1002/ece3.7047. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 7790623 . PMID 33437432.