Blattisociidae is a family of

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, 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 eac ...

s in the order

Mesostigmata 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 ca ...

Description

Blattisociidae are mites with the following features: dorsal shield entire or laterally incised and with 18-43 pairs of setae; female with usually more than four pairs of marginal

setae In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Depending partly on their form and function, protostome setae may be called macrotrichia, chaetae ...

on soft cuticle; palptarsal apotele two-tined; fixed cheliceral digit with setiform pilus dentilis; peritreme usually extending from stigma at least to level of s2, and fused anteriorly with dorsal shield and broadly fused with exopodal shield beside coxa IV (except in ''Fungiseius clavulisetis''); female spermathecal apparatus of the

phytoseiid The Phytoseiidae are a family of mites which feed on thrips and other mite species. They are often used as a biological control agent for managing mite pests. Because of their usefulness as biological control agents, interest in Phytoseiidae has ...

-type (except in ''Zercoseius''); male spermatodactyl at least as long as movable cheliceral digit. Mites of this family resemble those in

Ascidae Ascidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. Description Ascidae are mites characterised by: seta ''st4'' usually on unsclerotised cuticle, peritrematic shield broadly connected to exopodal shield beside coxa IV, fixed Chelicerae, c ...

and

Melicharidae ''Melicharidae'' is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. Description Melicharidae are mites characterized by: podonotal and opisthonotal shields usually fused; the third pair of sternal lyrifissures (''iv3'') situated off sternal shiel ...

, and historically these three families were all grouped together as Ascidae.

Ecology

Blattisociidae in general are predators and fungivores, with some parasitic species. They occur in various habitats including humus, stored foods, insect nests, flowers and fungi. Blattisociidae are known to engage in

phoresis Phoresis or phoresy is a temporary commensalistic relationship when an organism (a phoront or phoretic) attaches itself to a host organism solely for travel. It has been seen in ticks and mites since the 18th century, and in fossils 320 ...

: attaching to larger animals to be carried to new habitats. ''Krantzoseius walteri'' adults live beneath the

elytra An elytron (; ; : elytra, ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometime ...

of carabid beetles, ''Cheiroseius'' are phoretic on

crane flies A crane fly is any member of the dipteran superfamily Tipuloidea, which contains the living families Cylindrotomidae, Limoniidae, Pediciidae and Tipulidae, as well as several extinct families. "Winter crane flies", members of the family T ...

, and blattisociids associated with tropical flowers use

hummingbirds Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

Zoogeography

The highest numbers of Blattisociidae species and of endemic species occur in the Neotropical region (

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

), while the highest numbers of genera and of endemic genera occur in the Panamanian region (

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

and

Caribbean islands Most of the Caribbean countries are islands in the Caribbean Sea, with only a few in inland lakes. The largest islands include Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Some of the smaller islands are referred to as a ''rock'' or ''reef.'' ''I ...

). The family may have originated in one of these two neighbouring regions.

Genera

As of 2016, this family contains the following 14 genera: * '' Aceodromus'' Muma * ''

Adhaerenseius ''Adhaerenseius'' is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae Ascidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. Description Ascidae are mites characterised by: seta ''st4'' usually on unsclerotised cuticle, peritrematic shield broadly c ...

'' Loots & Theron * ''

Arrhenoseius ''Arrhenoseius'' is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae Ascidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. Description Ascidae are mites characterised by: seta ''st4'' usually on unsclerotised cuticle, peritrematic shield broadly co ...

'' Walter & Lindquist * ''

Blattisocius ''Blattisocius'' is a genus of mites in the family Blattisociidae. Description Adult females of ''Blattisocius'' have a dorsal shield that is undivided and lacks midlateral incisions. The sternal shield either has 3 pairs of setae or has 2 pai ...

'' Keegan * ''

Cheiroseiulus ''Cheiroseiulus'' is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae. Species * ''Cheiroseiulus crassipes'' Ahmed-Ramadan, 1998 * ''Cheiroseiulus longisetosus'' Ahmed-Ramadan, 1998 * ''Cheiroseiulus punctum'' Ahmed-Ramadan, 1998 * ''Che ...

'' Evans & Baker * ''

Cheiroseius ''Cheiroseius'' is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae. Species * ''Cheiroseius aciculatus'' (Evans & Hyatt, 1960) * ''Cheiroseius aequalis'' (Schweizer, 1961) * ''Cheiroseius alpestris'' Berlese, 1916 * ''Cheiroseius antenn ...

'' Berlese * '' Discoseius'' Lindquist & Moraza * '' Fungiseius'' Moraza & Lindquist * ''

Hoploseius ''Hoploseius'' is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae Ascidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. Description Ascidae are mites characterised by: seta ''st4'' usually on unsclerotised cuticle, peritrematic shield broadly conn ...

'' Berlese * '' Krantzoseius'' Seeman * ''

Lasioseius ''Lasioseius'' is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae Ascidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. Description Ascidae are mites characterised by: seta ''st4'' usually on unsclerotised cuticle, peritrematic shield broadly conn ...

'' Berlese * '' Opilioseius'' Lindquist & Moraza * ''

Platyseius ''Platyseius'' is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae Ascidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. Description Ascidae are mites characterised by: seta ''st4'' usually on unsclerotised cuticle, peritrematic shield broadly conn ...

'' Berlese * ''

Zercoseius ''Zercoseius'' is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae. Species * ''Zercoseius paliger'' (Berlese, 1916) * ''Zercoseius spathuliger'' (Leonardi, 1899) References

Ascidae {{Ascidae-stub ...

'' Berlese

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q21225636 Mesostigmata Acari families