Histiostoma

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Histiostoma
8-Histiostoma feroniarum female vent DIC40 BMOC 85-0717-001.jpg
Ventral surface of Histiostoma feroniarum
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Sarcoptiformes
Family: Histiostomatidae
Genus: Histiostoma
Kramer, 1876

Histiostoma is a genus of mites in the family Histiostomatidae. [1] [2]

Contents

Description

Both females and males of Histiostoma have two pairs of genital rings. In females, the anterior pair are positioned laterally between the bases of the second and third leg pairs, while the posterior pair are not associated with the anus. Additionally, in both sexes the pretarsi have ambulacra that are not bilobed. The chelicerae are modified and brush-like. [3]

Like some other astigmatan mites, Histiostoma can form deutonymphs. Deutonymphs have simple empodial claws. The tarsi of the third and fourth leg pairs have a weak, flexible region in the middle. The pretarsi of these leg pairs have empodial claws. The hysterosomal setae c1, d1 and e1 are all filiform. On the ventral surface is an attachment organ which is wider than long. [3]

Ecology

Histiostoma inquilinus on a bee Histiostoma inquilinus on Xenoglossa sternua BMOC 04-1222-149.jpg
Histiostoma inquilinus on a bee

Histiostoma primarily feed on microbes, which they filter from the substrate using their chelicerae. [3]

Various Histiostoma have deutonymphs associated with insects: H. blomquisti with queens of red imported fire ant, [4] H. polypori with the earwig Forficula auricularia , [5] [6] and various species (e.g. H. ovalis ) with bark beetles [7] or bees. [3]

Histiostomamurchiei and H. berghi are instead parasites of annelid cocoons. The former targets earthworms while the latter targets leeches. [8]

Some members of this genus are aquatic. Species of Histiostoma have been found in water, in debris at the bottom of aquaria, on the gills of eels ( H. anguillarum ), in the swim bladder of iridescent shark ( H. piscium ) and on the fins and gills of Murray cod ( H. papillata ). These may be cases of parasitism. [9]

Reproduction

During mating, the male gets on top of the female, facing in the same direction, and clasps her with his legs. [10]

Males in some Histiostoma species have two distinct forms, with some males being larger and with thicker legs than others. This may be for fighting other males for access to females. [10]

Histiostomamurchiei has an unusual method of reproduction. On reaching adulthood, a female lays 2-9 eggs parthenogenetically, which only produce male offspring. The males develop rapidly to adulthood and mate with their mother 3-4 days after laying. Now fertilised, the female lays up to 500 eggs and these produce female offspring. [8]

Pest status

Histiostoma laboratorium is a pest of Drosophila melanogaster cultures, even being named for its prevalence in genetics laboratories. It reproduces faster than D. melanogaster and rapidly overruns cultures. [11]

Evolution

Putative deutonymphs of Histiostoma have been found on a Phloeosinus bark beetle in Baltic amber, meaning this genus' association with bark beetles has existed for at least 44–49 million years. [7]

References

  1. "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  2. Australia, Atlas of Living. "Genus: Histiostoma". bie.ala.org.au. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Histiostoma | Bee Mite ID". idtools.org. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  4. Wirth, S.; Moser, J. C. (2010-09-30). "Histiostoma blomquisti n. sp. (Acari: Astigmata: Histiostomatidae), a phoretic mite of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Acarologia. 50 (3): 357–371. doi: 10.1051/acarologia/20101979 . ISSN   0044-586X. S2CID   205041.
  5. 1 2 S. Wirth (December 2009). "Necromenic life style of Histiostoma polypori (Acari: Histiostomatidae)". Experimental and Applied Acarology . 49 (4): 317–327. doi:10.1007/s10493-009-9295-6. PMID   19697142. S2CID   20109475.
  6. BEHURA, B. K. (1950). "A Little-known Tyroglyphoid Mite, Histiostoma polypori (Oud.), and its Association with the Earwig, Forficula auricularia Linn" . Nature. 165 (4208): 1025–1026. doi:10.1038/1651025b0. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   15439085. S2CID   4161389.
  7. 1 2 3 Wirth, Stefan F.; Garonna, Antonio P. (2015-07-04). "Histiostoma ovalis (Histiostomatidae, Acari) associated with Ips sexdentatus (Scolytinae, Curculionidae, Coleoptera): ecology and mite redescription on the basis of formerly unknown adults and nymphs" . International Journal of Acarology. 41 (5): 415–428. doi:10.1080/01647954.2015.1050062. ISSN   0164-7954. S2CID   82307564.
  8. 1 2 Oliver, James H. (1962). "A Mite Parasitic in the Cocoons of Earthworms" . The Journal of Parasitology. 48 (1): 120–123. doi:10.2307/3275424. JSTOR   3275424. PMID   14481811.
  9. Halliday, Rb; Collins, Ro (2002-04-19). "Histiostoma papillata sp. n. (Acari: Histiostomatidae), a mite attacking fish in Australia" . Australian Journal of Entomology. 41 (2): 155–158. doi:10.1046/j.1440-6055.2002.00284.x. ISSN   1326-6756.
  10. 1 2 Wirth, Stefan (2005-06-01). "Transformations of copulatory structures and observations on the male polyphenism in the phylogeny of the Histiostomatidae (Acari: Astigmata)" . International Journal of Acarology. 31 (2): 91–100. doi:10.1080/01647950508683657. ISSN   0164-7954. S2CID   84640018.
  11. Brown, Russell V. (1965-02-01). "Control of Histiostoma laboratorium in Drosophila Cultures" . Journal of Economic Entomology. 58 (1): 156–157. doi:10.1093/jee/58.1.156. ISSN   1938-291X.