Family Neotrombidiidae Feider, 1955

Prodorsal sclerite, eyes, and anterior hysterosomal setae of the mite Neotrombidium sp. (Neotrombidiidae), larva, ex Xylocopa micans, USA: Florida, BMOC 03-0525-002 title=

Fig. 1. Prodorsal sclerite, eyes, and anterior hysterosomal setae of the mite Neotrombidium sp. (Neotrombidiidae), larva, ex Xylocopa micans, USA: Florida, BMOC 03-0525-002. Click to enlarge

Bee Mites : Acari : Acariformes : Trombidiformes

Family Neotrombidiidae Feider, 1955

Neotrombidiinae Feider, 1955: 56; Lindquist & Vercammen-Grandjean, 1971: 1557.

Neotrombidiidae: Vercammen-Grandjean, 1973: 110; Kethley, 1990: 705 (included in key); Beron, 1991: 4; Welbourn, 1991: 167; Southcott, 1996: 60; Walter at al., 2009: 277.

Type genus Neotrombidium Leonardi, 1902

General Description. This family includes five genera and 24 species (Feider, 1977; Krantz, 1978; Vercammen-Grandjean, 1973; Zhang et al., 2011). Larvae are parasitic on Coleoptera, Diptera, and rarely on Hymenoptera (our data), while postlarval stages, including adults, live in forest litter and under bark of trees where they presumably prey on other small arthropods. The family is worldwide in distribution, excluding boreal and polar regions (Lindquist and Vercammen-Grandjean, 1971; Singer, 1971).

Description. Palpal genu with one seta. One pair of dorsal trichobotria on prodorsal sclerite. Scutellum bearing setae c₁ absent. Claparede's organ present. Postero-apical corner of at least posterior coxa with distinct reticulate pattern. Femur I with at least one solenidia and seven pilose setae. Femora II-III with at least two solenidia. Only one empodial claw present on each tarsus.

Notes. Some authors (e.g., Zhang et al., 2011) cite the year for this family as 1959. However, this family name was first proposed in 1955 (Feider, 1955).

Hosts. Xylocopa micans Lepeletier, 1841.

Genera associated with bees.

Neotrombidium Leonardi, 1902

References

Beron, P. 1995. A new larval species of Neotrombidium (Acariformes, Actinedida: Neotrombidiidae) from Cuba. Historia Naturalis Bulgarica.5: 13-18.

Feider, Z. 1955. Acarina Trombidoidea. Fauna Republicii Populare Romîne: Arachnida: Volumul V, Fascicula 1. Bucureşti: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne. 187 pp.

Feider, Z. 1977. Quelques acariens cavernicoles de Cuba de la super-famille Trombiculoidea. In Résultats des expéditions biospéologiques cubano-roumaines à Cuba. 2, eds. T. Orghidan, A. N. Jimenez, V. Decou, Ş. Negrea & N. V. Bayés, 201-208. Institut de Spéologie "Emil Racovitza" Romania.

Kethley, J. B. 1982. Prostigmata. In Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms, ed. S. P. Parker, 117-145. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Kethley, J. B. 1990. Acarina: Prostigmata (Actinedida). In Soil Biology Guide, ed. D. Dindal, 667-756. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Krantz, G. W. 1978. A Manual of Acarology. 2nd ed. Corvallis: Oregon State University Book Stores, Inc. 509 pp.

Lindquist, E. E. & P. H. Vercammen-Grandjean. 1971. Revision of the chigger-like larvae of the genera Neotrombidium Leonardi and Monunguis Wharton, with a redefinition of the subfamily Neotrombidiinae Feider in the Trombidiidae (Acarina: Prostigmata). Canadian Entomologist.103: 1557-1590.

Singer, G. 1971. Neotrombidium Leonardi (Acarina: Trombidioidea) Part I: Revision of the genus, with description of two new species. Acarologia.13: 119-142.

Southcott, R. V. 1996. Description of a new Australian mite (Acarina: Trombidioidea), with comments on superfamily classification. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide).29: 55-62.

Vercammen-Grandjean, P. H. 1973. Sur les statuts de la famille des Trombidiidae Leach, 1815 (Acarina: Prostigmata). Acarologia.15: 102-114.

Walter, D. E., E. E. Lindquist, I. M. Smith, D. R. Cook & G. W. Krantz. 2009. Order Trombidiformes. In A Manual of Acarology. Third Edition. Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech University Press.

Welbourn, W. C. 1991. Phylogenetic studies of the terrestrial Parasitengona. In Modern acarology. Volume II: Proceedings of the 8 International Congress of Acarology held in Ceske Budejovice, Czechoslovakia, 6-11 August 1990, eds. F. Dusbabek & V. Buvka, 163-170. The Hague: SPB Academic Publishing.

Zhang, Z.-Q., Q.-H. Fan, V. Pesic, H. Smit, A. V. Bochkov, A. A. Khaustov, A. Baker, A. Wohltmann, T. Wen, J. W. Amrine, P. Beron, J. Lin, G. Gabrys & R. Husband. 2011. Order Trombidiformes Reuter, 1909 Zootaxa.3148: 129-138.

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