Erythraeidae 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 belonging to the

Trombidiformes Trombidiformes is a large, diverse order of mites. Taxonomy In 1998, Trombidiformes was divided into the Sphaerolichida and the Prostigmata. The group has few synapomorphies by which it can be defined, unlike the other major group of acariform ...

Larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

l forms of these mites are

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The ent ...

on various other

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

s, for example

harvestmen The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an Order (biology), order of arachnids, Common name, colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs (see below). , over 6,650 species of harvestmen have been discovered w ...

, but the adults are free-living

predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...

s. These oval mites are rather large, usually reddish coloured and densely hairy. The legs, especially the first and fourth pairs, are long and adapted for running. They have either one or two pairs of eyes and can be distinguished from related families microscopically by the presence of a single claw on the

tibia The tibia (; : tibiae or tibias), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two Leg bones, bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outsi ...

of the

palp Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the secondary pair of forward appendages among chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to the chelicera ...

. The larvae bite a hole into the cuticula of the host and use a

stylostome The stylostome is a funnel- or channel-like structure formed in response to Trombiculidae, trombiculid mites. The formation is not caused by the mouthparts of the mites, because these mites do not have needle-like mouthparts as hematophagia, hema ...

, which acts like a

drinking straw A drinking straw is a List of eating utensils, utensil that uses suction to carry the contents of a beverage to one's mouth. A straw is used by placing one end in the mouth and the other in a beverage. By applying suction with the mouth, the air ...

, to drink body fluids dissolved tissues. The larvae of two described species of '' Leptus'' feed on

bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

s: '' Leptus ariel'' lives on the

European honey bee The western honey bee or European honey bee (''Apis mellifera'') is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bees worldwide. The genus name ''Apis'' is Latin for 'bee', and ''mellifera'' is the Latin for 'honey-bearing' or 'honey-carrying', ...

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

, and '' Leptus monteithi'' is a parasite of a ''

Leioproctus ''Leioproctus'', the hairy colletid bee, is a genus in the plaster bee family Colletidae. Its members are primarily found in Australasia and temperate South America, and include the most common native bees in New Zealand. Description Species wi ...

'' species (

Colletidae The Colletidae are a family (biology), family of bees, and are often referred to collectively as plasterer bees or polyester bees, due to the method of smoothing the walls of their nest cells with secretions applied with their mouthparts; these s ...

) in

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

.UMMZ
Genus ''Leptus'' Latreille, 1796
(with drawing of ''L. ariel'') Harvestman 01.jpg, Larva on harvestman leg, New Zealand Erythraeidae parasitic larva 01.jpg, Larva on harvestman leg, New Zealand Balaustium leanderi - inat 421797662.jpg, ''Balaustium leanderi'', Colombia Balaustium leanderi 227969273.jpg, ''Balaustium leanderi'', México Caeculisoma 102531544.jpg, ''Caeculisoma'', Virginia Callidosoma - inat 103513593.jpg, ''Callidosoma'', Virginia Eatoniana namaquensis - inat 160704050.jpg, ''Eatoniana namaquensis'', South Africa Eatoniana namaquensis 46890856.jpg, ''Eatoniana namaquensis'', Botswana Eatoniana plumipes 247477158.jpg, ''Eatoniana plumipes'', Kazakhstan Erythraeidae 02.jpg, ''Abrolophus'', New Zealand Leptus 6917997.jpg, ''Leptus'', Maine Leptus trimaculatus 02.JPG, ''Leptus trimaculatus'', Germany Mite - Callidosoma species, Meadowood Farm SRMA, Mason Neck, Virginia.jpg, ''Callidosoma'', Virginia

Genera

These 62 genera belong to the family Erythraeidae: ; Subfamily Abrolophinae Witte, 1995 : '' Abrolophus'' Berlese, 1891 : '' Grandjeanella'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Marantelophus'' Haitlinger, 2011 : '' Nagoricanella'' Haitlinger, 2009 : '' Pukakia'' Clark, 2014 ; Subfamily Balaustiinae Grandjean, 1947 : ''

Balaustium ''Balaustium'' is a genus of mites belonging to the family Erythraeidae. These are large red mites with one or two pairs of eyes set well back on the body. Species Species include: *''Balaustium aonidophagus'' (Ebeling) *''Balaustium angustum'' ...

'' von Heyden, 1826 : '' Bursaustium'' Haitlinger, 2000 : '' Fozustium'' Haitlinger, 2005 : '' Italustium'' Haitlinger, 2000 : '' Lomeustium'' Haitlinger, 2007 : '' Madinahustium'' Kamran & Alatawi, 2016 : '' Micromaris'' Hirst, 1926 : '' Microsmarialla'' Khot, 1963 : '' Moldoustium'' Haitlinger, 2008 : '' Monteustium'' Haitlinger & Sundic, 2015 : '' Mypongia'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Neobalaustium'' Willmann, 1951 : '' Pollux'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Wartookia'' Southcott, 1961 ; Subfamily Callidosomatinae Southcott, 1957 : '' Andrevella'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Caeculisoma'' Berlese, 1888 : '' Callidosoma'' Womersley, 1936 : '' Carastrum'' Southcott, 1988 : '' Cecidopus'' Karsch, 1879 : '' Charletonia'' Oudemans, 1910 : '' Dambullaeus'' Haitlinger, 2001 : '' Harpagella'' Southcott, 1996 : '' Iguatonia'' Haitlinger, 2004 : '' Momorangia'' Southcott, 1972 : '' Neoabrolophus'' Khot, 1965 : '' Neomomorangia'' Fain & Santiago-Blay, 1993 : '' Pussardia'' Southcott, 1961 ; Subfamily Erythraeinae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1828 : '' Augustsonella'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Claverythraeus'' Trägårdh, 1937 : '' Collemboerythraeus'' Noei et al., 2017 : '' Curteria'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Eatoniana'' Cambridge, 1898 : '' Erythraeus'' Latreille, 1806 : '' Erythraxus'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Erythrellus'' Southcott, 1946 : '' Erythrites'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Erythroides'' Southcott, 1946 : '' Forania'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Helladerythraeus'' Beron, 1988 : '' Kakamasia'' Lawrence, 1944 : '' Kamertonia'' Gabrys, 2000 : '' Lasioerythraeus'' Welbourn & Young, 1987 : '' Makolia'' Saboori et al., 2009 : '' Neophanolophus'' Shiba, 1976 : '' Neosmaris'' Hirst, 1926 : '' Paraphanolophus'' Smiley, 1968 : '' Pararainbowia'' Dunlop, 2007 : '' Podosmaridia'' Trägårdh, 1937 : '' Proterythraeus'' Vercammen-Grandjean, 1973 : '' Rainbowia'' Southcott, 1961 : '' Ramsayella'' Z.-Q. Zhang, 2000 : '' Taranakia'' Southcott, 1988 : '' Tepoztlana'' Hoffmann & Mendez, 1973 ; Subfamily Leptinae Billberg, 1820 : '' Leptus'' Latreille, 1796 ; Subfamily Myrmicotrombiinae Southcott, 1957 : '' Myrmicotrombium'' Womersley, 1934 ; Subfamily Phanolophinae Southcott, 1946 : '' Iraniella'' Karimi Iravanlou et al., 2002 : '' Phanolophus'' André, 1927

Footnotes

References

*Meyer, Magdalena K. P. & Ryke, P. A. J.: Nine new species of the superfamily Erythraeoidea (Acarina: Trombidiformes) associated with plants in South Africa. ''Acarologia I''. *Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog
Erythraeidae

External links

* InsectImages.org
Pictures of a ''Leptus'' sp.
Trombidiformes Taxa named by Anthonie Cornelis Oudemans Acari families {{Trombidiformes-stub