| Tyrophagus longior | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Sarcoptiformes |
| Family: | Acaridae |
| Genus: | Tyrophagus |
| Species: | T. longior |
| Binomial name | |
| Tyrophagus longior (Gervais, 1844) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
Tyroglyphus dimidiatusOudemans, 1924 Contents | |
Tyrophagus longior is a mite in the family Acaridae. [1] [2]
Tyrophagus longior is oval in shape and whitish to semitransparent in colour. It is covered dorsally in barbed setae. There are eight legs (six in larvae) that are light brown in colour. [1]
Adult females of T. longior can be distinguished from others of the genus by the following: prodorsal shield without pigmented eyespots; hysterosomal setae d1 about 1.3–1.8× as long as c1 and d2, and the alveoli (bases) of d1 situated approximately midway between those of c1 and e1; and tarsi I and II with solenidia that are long and slender (not expanded at the tips). Adult males similarly lack pigmented eyespots and have long, slender solenidia. Males also have a large and slender aedeagus (male reproductive organ). [1]
Like other species of Tyrophagus, T. longior has a life cycle consisting of egg, larva, protonymph, tritonymph, and adult. [1]
These mites have been collected from a wide range of plants and plant products, including seeds (e.g. acorns, peas), fruits (e.g. avocadoes, bananas, strawberries), grains (e.g. barley, wheat), vegetables (e.g. cucumbers, onions) and ornamental plants. They have also been collected from animal nests (e.g. bird nests, bee hives) and animal products (e.g. cheese, honey). [1]
Despite this wide range of habitats, T. longior usually does not occur in human dwellings and when it does, rarely in large numbers. There is one report of a large T. longior population building up in dog biscuits underneath the floor (originally hoarded there by mice) and repeatedly emerging into a house by the thousands. [3]
Tyrophagus longior is predominantly a fungivore, but it can also feed on plants directly. [3] [4] Under laboratory conditions, T. longior has been reared on a mix of yeast and corn flour. [5]
Tyrophagus longior occurs in many different countries and continents. [1] It has even been introduced to Antarctica. [6]
This species is one of the important mite pests on cheese. [1] It is also one of the mites responsible for oral mite anaphylaxis, a disease caused by eating mite-contaminated food. [7]
Ornamental plants such as Verbena, Malva (=Lavatera) and Consolida ajacis (=Delphinium ajacis) may suffer severe damage from T. longior attack. Symptoms include distortion and death of growing points and holing of young leaves. [4]
The mitochondrial rDNA of T. longior has been sequenced and used in phylogenetic analysis. [5]
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is only a small portion of the DNA in a eukaryotic cell; most of the DNA can be found in the cell nucleus and, in plants and algae, also in plastids such as chloroplasts.
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 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.
Psocoptera are a paraphyletic group of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies. The name Psocoptera has been replaced with Psocodea in recent literature, with the inclusion of the former order Phthiraptera into Psocodea.
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.
Tarsonemus is a genus of trombidiform mites within the family Tarsonemidae.
The Acaridae are a family of mites in order Sarcoptiformes.
Tydeus is a genus of mites belonging to the family Tydeidae. These are small, usually white, mites with soft bodies covered in striations and each leg terminating in two claws.
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.
Psocodea is a taxonomic group of insects comprising the bark lice, book lice and parasitic lice. It was formerly considered a superorder, but is now generally considered by entomologists as an order. Despite the greatly differing appearance of parasitic lice (Phthiraptera), they are believed to have evolved from within the former order Psocoptera, which contained the bark lice and book lice, now found to be paraphyletic. They are often regarded as the most primitive of the hemipteroids. Psocodea contains around 11,000 species, divided among four suborders and more than 70 families. They range in size from 1–10 millimetres (0.04–0.4 in) in length.
Histiostoma is a genus of mites in the family Histiostomatidae.
Rhizoglyphus is a genus of mites in the family Acaridae. It has a worldwide distribution and is often associated with the bulbs, corms or tubers of plants.
Blattisocius is a genus of mites in the family Blattisociidae.
Tyrophagus putrescentiae is a cosmopolitan mite species. Together with the related species T. longior, it is commonly referred to as the mould mite or the cheese mite. The genus name translates from Greek to "cheese eater."
Brevipalpus phoenicis, also known as the false spider mite, red and black flat mite, and in Australia as the passionvine mite, is a species of mite in the family Tenuipalpidae. This species occurs globally, and is a serious pest to such crops as citrus, tea, papaya, guava and coffee, and can heavily damage numerous other crops. They are unique in having haploid females, a condition caused by a bacterium that change haploid males into females.
Glycyphagus is a genus of astigs in the family Glycyphagidae.
Tetranychoidea is a superfamily of mites in the order Trombidiformes. There are about 5 families and more than 2,200 described species in Tetranychoidea.
Petrobia is a genus in Tetranychidae, containing 34 described species. It includes some pest species.
Melicharidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata.
Aleuroglyphus ovatus, commonly known as brown-legged mite or brownlegged grain mite, is a species of mite in the family Acaridae. It is a cosmopolitan pest of grain.
Suidasia is a genus of mites in the family Suidasiidae and clade Astigmatina.