| Balaustium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Balaustium medicagoense | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Trombidiformes |
| Family: | Erythraeidae |
| Genus: | Balaustium Heyden, 1826 |
| Species | |
See § Species | |
Balaustium is a genus of mites belonging to the family Erythraeidae. These are large red mites with one or two pairs of eyes set well back on the body.
Species include:
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.
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.
Balaustium vignae is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This moderately hairy orange mite is around 1 mm in length with one pair of eyes set well back on the body. It can be distinguished from similar species by the first pair of legs being longer than the body and the lack of a suture dividing the abdomen.
Balaustium medicagoense is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This large, densely hairy mite is up to 1.6 mm in length with one pair of eyes set well back on the body. The first pair of legs is just longer than the body.
Balaustium bipilum is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This long-oval shaped, sparsely hairy orange mite is less than 1 mm in length with one pair of eyes set well back on the body. It can be distinguished from similar species by the crista projecting forward beyond the margin of the body and the clear suture dividing the upper abdomen. This species is endemic to South Africa.
Balaustium cristatum is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This oval mite is only known from immature specimens: the eight-legged nymph is around 0.75 mm in length and moderately hairy with two pairs of eyes and all legs shorter than the body. The six-legged larva is only around 0.5 mm in length and sparsely hairy with one pair of eyes and the third pair of legs longer than the body.
Balaustium graminum is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. This mite is very closely related to and similar to Balaustium medicagoense but has two pairs of eyes and is less densely hairy.
Leptus is a genus of large mites belonging to the family Erythraeidae; they resemble members of the related genus Balaustium, but can be distinguished by the eyes, which in Leptus species are set much further forward on the body than in Balaustium species.
Parasitengona is a group of mites, variously ranked as a hyporder or a cohort, between the taxonomic ranks of order and family.
Charletonia cuglierensis is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae, so named after its type locality. C. cuglierensis belongs to the group of species which possess two setae between coxae II and III. It differs from its cogenerate species by length measurements. It was first found in Sardinia, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of Cuglieri.
Leptus pozzoicus is a species of mite. It is named after Porto Pozzo, near Santa Teresa Gallura, the place where the species was first collected. L. pozzoicus belongs to the group of species with two palpgenualae, and that have over four setae between coxalae II and III. It differs from its cogenerate species by various length measurements.
Charletonia austisensis is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. C. austisensis belongs to the species group with two setae between coxae II and III. It differs from its cogenerate species by various length measurements. The species was first found in Austis, Sardinia, after which it is named.
Abrolophus mirabelae is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. It belongs to the group of species that have comb-like setae.
Erythraeus moeritzensis is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae. It belongs to the group of species that has a basifemoral, setal formula 3-3-3.
Allothrombium polikarpi is a species of mite belonging to the family Trombidiidae, first described from Greece.
Erythraeus (Zaracarus) passidonicus is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae, first described from Greece.
Erythraeus kastaniensis is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae, first described from Greece.
Charletonia samosensis is a species of mite belonging to the family Erythraeidae, first described from Greece.
Charletonia is a genus of mites belonging to the family Erythraeidae.
Cyta latirostris is a species of snout mite in the family Bdellidae. The cosmopolitan species was first described by Jean-Frédéric Hermann in 1804 as Scirus latirostris.
Four species are currently recognized in North America: B. aonidophagus (Ebeling), B. dowelli Smiley, B. kendalli Welbourn and B. putmani Smiley, but additional spacies remain undescribed.
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