| Uropodina | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Mesostigmata |
| Suborder: | Monogynaspida |
| Infraorder: | Uropodina Kramer, 1881 [1] |
Uropodina is an infraorder of mites in the order Mesostigmata. [2] [3]
In Uropodina, the sternal and ventral shields are usually fused, the hypostomal setae are situated in a row, the legs are relatively short and with reduced setae, the coxae of the first leg pair are greatly enlarged to partially or entirely cover the base of the tritosternum, and the stigmata are situated between the second and third leg pairs. [3] [4]
Beyond this, Uropodina are morphologically variable and their taxonomy still a matter of debate. Many species are only known from some parts of their life cycle. [2]
Most species of Uropodina reproduce sexually, but some are capable of parthenogenesis. In these species, males either do not exist or are rare (usually less than 0.5% of the population). [5]
Uropodina can be found in soil, forest litter, moss, lichen, under rocks, in nests of various animals, dung and carrion. [2] [4] They may reach abundances of 5,000 individuals/m2 in meadow soils and 2,000 individuals/m2 in agricultural soils. [6] Most are predators of small invertebrates such as nematodes, while some may be fungivorous or herbivorous. [2]
For Uropodina associated with dead wood, the tree species the wood originated from affects abundance and diversity. More Uropodina species occur in dead wood of deciduous trees than coniferous trees, with the highest diversity occurring in dead wood of beech, oak, pine, spruce, linden and hornbeam. [7]
Many species are phoretic on other animals such as insects. During the deutonymph stage of their life cycle, they secrete an elastic pedicel to attach to an animal for transport. [3]
Various Uropodina are associated with bees and/or bee nests: Trachytidae ( Uroseius ), Trematuridae ( Trematura , Trichouropoda , Trichosociata , and Pseuduropoda ), Uroactiniidae ( Uroactinia ), Urodinychidae ( Uroobovella , Uroobovella ( Fuscouropoda )), and Uropodidae ( Uropoda ). Their bee hosts include honey bees (Apis), bumble bees (Bombus), Euglossa orchid bees, and Melipona stingless bees. They are believed to be harmless to bees. [3]
A few species of Uropodina contaminate earthworm cultures and stored food. [2]
Uropodina show a high degree of endemism, with many species only being found on one continent. That said, knowledge of species ranges is limited outside of Europe. At the level of genera, there are some genera only found in the northern hemisphere ( Trachytes , Cilliba , Urodiaspis ), some only in the southern hemisphere ( Rotundabaloghia , Castriidinychus , Platysetosus , Acroseius , and Capricornelia ), and others in both hemispheres. [8]
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.
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.
Tarsonemus is a genus of trombidiform mites within the family Tarsonemidae.
Mesostigmata is an order of mites belonging to the Parasitiformes. They are by far the largest group of Parasitiformes, with over 8,000 species in 130 families. Mesostigmata includes parasitic as well as free-living and predatory forms. They can be recognized by the single pair of spiracles positioned laterally on the body.
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.
The Raphignathoidea is a superfamily of the Acari (mite) order Trombidiformes, comprising 1087 species in 62 genera and 12 families.
The Laelapidae are a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. The family is also referred to in the literature as Laelaptidae, which may be the correct spelling.
Dermanyssoidea is a superfamily of mites, including most of the mites which parasitise vertebrates.
The family Ameroseiidae is one of the three families of mites under the superfamily Ascoidea. There are about 12 genera and more than 130 described species in Ameroseiidae. The family has a worldwide distribution.
Ascidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata.
Antennoseius is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae. As of 2021, it comprised 59 species mostly in subgenera Antennoseius and Vitzthumia, as well as six species not assigned to a subgenus.
Blattisocius is a genus of mites in the family Blattisociidae.
Parasitellus is a genus of mites in the family Parasitidae which are obligatory parasites of bumblebees. These mites can be found clinging to the carapace, sometimes in large numbers. Mites in this genus hibernate in the deutonymphal stage. In the tritonymph stage they can actively transfer from bumblebee to bumblebee from flowers, where they can survive up to 24 hours. After they arrive in a bumblebee nest, they will moult into adults. Whilst it is not known what factors trigger the mite to molt, in laboratory conditions P. fucorum were found to moult after eating fresh pollen, although overall moulting success was low. They are kleptoparasitic or neutral to beneficial, depending on life stage; females and deutonymphs feed on provisioned pollen, while other stages are predators of small arthropods.
Urodinychidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata.
Phoresis or phoresy is a non-permanent, commensalistic interaction in which one organism attaches itself to another solely for the purpose of travel. Phoresis has been observed directly in ticks and mites since the 18th century, and indirectly in fossils 320 million years old. It is not restricted to arthropods or animals; plants with seeds that disperse by attaching themselves to animals are also considered to be phoretic.
Blattisociidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata.
Melicharidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata.
Mercedes Delfinado is an acarologist from the Philippines, who was a recipient of a 1962 Guggenheim Fellowship. She is a specialist in bee mites, and published widely on insects of south-east Asia. For over twenty years she was a Chief Editor for the International Journal of Acarology. Multiple species were named in her honour.
| Authority control databases: National |
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