''Leptus'' is a genus of large

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 family

Erythraeidae Erythraeidae is a family of mites belonging to the Trombidiformes. Larval forms of these mites are parasitic on various other arthropods, for example harvestmen, but the adults are free-living predators. These oval mites are rather large, usually ...

; they resemble members of the related genus ''

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'' ...

'', but can be distinguished by the eyes, which in ''Leptus'' species are set much further forward on the body than in ''Balaustium'' species. The genus was first described in 1796 by

Pierre André Latreille Pierre André Latreille (; 29 November 1762 – 6 February 1833) was a French zoology, zoologist, specialising in arthropods. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained hi ...

Selected species

Interim Register of Marine and NonMarine Genera The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG) is a taxonomic database which attempts to cover published genus names for all domains of life (also including subgenera in zoology), from 1758 in zoology (1753 in botany) up to the pre ...

lists 202 species. * '' Leptus ariel'' Southcott, 1989 * '' Leptus berlesei'' * '' Leptus clavatus'' * ''

Leptus intermedius ''Leptus'' is a genus of large mites belonging to the family Erythraeidae; they resemble members of the related genus ''Balaustium'', but can be distinguished by the eyes, which in ''Leptus'' species are set much further forward on the body than i ...

'' Meyer & Ryke, 1959 * '' Leptus monteithi'' Southcott, 1993 * '' Leptus pozzoicus'' Ryszard, 2007 * '' Leptus trimaculatus'' * '' Leptus vertiformis''

References

Trombidiformes Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille Taxa described in 1796 {{Trombidiformes-stub