Tarsonemidae is a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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, also called thread-footed mites or white mites. Only a limited number of tarsonemid genera ('' Steneotarsonemus'', '' Polyphagotarsonemus'', '' Phytonemus'', '' Floridotarsonemus'' and '' Tarsonemus'') are known to feed on higher plants while most species in this family feed on the thin-walled

mycelia Mycelium (: mycelia) is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. Its normal form is that of branched, slender, entangled, anastomosing, hyaline threads. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are fo ...

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

or possibly

algal Algae ( , ; : alga ) is an informal term for any organisms of a large and diverse group of photosynthetic organisms that are not plants, and includes species from multiple distinct clades. Such organisms range from unicellular microalgae, s ...

bodies. Even among the plant-feeding tarsonemid mites, most are confined to areas of new growth where

cell wall A cell wall is a structural layer that surrounds some Cell type, cell types, found immediately outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. Primarily, it provides the cell with structural support, shape, protection, ...

s are thin and therefore easily pierced. However two species (the "broad mite" '' Polyphagotarsonemus latus'' and the "cyclamen mite" '' Steneotarsonemus pallidus'') are able to feed on older leaves because of their ability to inject

toxin A toxin is a naturally occurring poison produced by metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. They occur especially as proteins, often conjugated. The term was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849–1919), derived ...

s during feeding (presumably of

salivary gland The salivary glands in many vertebrates including mammals are exocrine glands that produce saliva through a system of ducts. Humans have three paired major salivary glands ( parotid, submandibular, and sublingual), as well as hundreds of min ...

origin) causing an increase of thin walled cells surrounding feeding sites. This proliferation of new growth often results in leaves that appear stunted, puckered and twisted. Some Tarsonemidae are associated with insects. For example, three tribes of Acarapinae are insect parasites: Acarapini are parasites of '' Apis'' bees (the tribe includes notable pest '' Acarapis woodi''), Coreitarsonemini live in odoriferous glands of leaf-footed bugs (

Coreidae Coreidae is a large family (biology), family of predominantly sap-sucking insects in the Hemipteran suborder Heteroptera. The name "Coreidae" derives from the genus ''Coreus'', which derives from the Ancient Greek () meaning bedbug. As a fam ...

) and Podotarsonemini attach to wings of tetrigid grasshoppers.

Taxonomy

Subdivision

* Subfamily Pseudotarsonemoidinae ** Tribe Tarsonemellini ** Tribe Pseudotarsonemoidini * Subfamily Acarapinae ** Tribe Coreitarsonemini * Subfamily Tarsoneminae ** Tribe Hemitarsonemini ** Tribe Steneotarsonemini ** Tribe Tarsonemini ** Tribe Pseudacarapin

Selected genera

* '' Acarapis'' * '' Floridotarsonemus'' * '' Phytonemus'' * '' Polyphagotarsonemus'' * '' Steneotarsonemus'' * '' Tarsonemus''

Control

While little pest management research has been done on the majority of tarsonemid species, comprehensive studies have been made into the biological and chemical control of the cyclamen mite and the broad mite. Chemical trials demonstrated that

endosulfan Endosulfan is an organochlorine insecticide and acaricide, which acts by blocking the GABA-gated chloride channel of the insect (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee#Table of modes of action and classes of insecticide, IRAC group 2A). It became ...

and

dicofol Dicofol is an insecticide, an organochlorine that is chemically related to DDT. Dicofol is a miticide that is very effective against spider mite. Its production and use is banned internationally under the Stockholm Convention. One of the inte ...

consistently reduced densities of ''P. latus'' and ''S. pallidus'', and planting stock can be effectively decontaminated through

fumigation Fumigation is a method of pest control or the removal of harmful microorganisms by completely filling an area with gaseous pesticides, or fumigants, to suffocate or poison the pests within. It is used to control pests in buildings (structural ...

with

methyl bromide Bromomethane, commonly known as methyl bromide, is an organobromine compound with chemical formula, formula Carbon, CHydrogen, H3Bromine, Br. This colorless, odorless, nonflammable gas is Bromine cycle, produced both industrially and biologically ...

1,2-dibromoethane 1,2-Dibromoethane, also known as ethylene dibromide (EDB), is an organobromine compound with the chemical formula . Although trace amounts occur naturally in the ocean, where it is probably formed by algae and kelp, substantial amounts are produc ...

. Three entomogenous fungi, '' Beauveria bassiana'', ''

Metarhizium anisopliae ''Metarhizium anisopliae'' is a fungus, the type species in the ''Metarhizium'' genus. It grows naturally in soils throughout the world and causes disease in various insects by acting as a parasitoid. Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, Ilya I. Mechnikov nam ...

'', and '' Paecilomyces fumosoroseus'', can effectively manage broad mite infestations, with ''B. bassiana'' providing the greatest reduction. Predatory phytoseiid mites, in the genus '' Neoseiulus'', can also successfully control ''P. latus'' and ''S. pallidus'' under

greenhouse A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...

and field conditions.

References

External links

* Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog
Tarsonemidae
on the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

''Featured Creatures'' website
Dr. Eddie Ueckermann. TAXONOMY OF TARSONEMIDAE. ARC
{{Authority control Trombidiformes Acari families