Melicharidae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Mesostigmata
Superfamily: Ascoidea
Family: Melicharidae

Melicharidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata.[1]

Description

Melicharidae are mites characterized by: podonotal and opisthonotal shields usually fused; the third pair of sternal lyrifissures (iv3) situated off sternal shield (rarely absent) and usually on metasternal plates; peritrematic shield free posteriorly from, or narrowly fused with, exopodal shield beside coxa IV (except Orthadenella); fixed cheliceral digit usually with a hyaline lobe instead of a setiform pilus dentilis, and movable cheliceral digit usually with a pointed process (mucro) on mid-ventral face; genital shield usually gently rounded posteriorly; anal shield usually oval or elliptical, bearing only circumanal setae; and female spermathecal apparatus laelapid-type.[1]

Ecology

Melicharidae are free-living mites found in various habitats including soil, leaf litter, plants (e.g. bromeliads, pineapple flowers and false bird-of-paradise[2]), rotten wood, stored products, seaweeds, animals, and the nests and excrement of animals.[3][4] A large proportion of the family evolved to live on plants and these feed mostly on nectar and/or pollen.[5] Other reported food items include nematodes, insect eggs and larvae, other mites and fungi.[5]

Melicharids associated with animals may be phoretic on them. For example, species of genera Proctolaelaps, Rhinoseius and Tropicoseius are phoretic on hummingbirds.[2]

Some species of Proctolaelaps are associated with bumblebees, though nothing else about their biology (e.g. how they feed) is known.[6]

Zoogeography

Melicharidae has more species in the Neotropical region (South America) than in anywhere else. This region also harbours the most endemic species of any region.[7]

Genera

As of 2016, 11 genera were recognised in this family.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 ".:: Melicharidae Database ::". www.lea.esalq.usp.br. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  2. 1 2 Bassini-Silva, R.; Takatsu, J. C.; Peinado, L. C.; Faxina, C.; Moreira-Lima, L.; Fischer, E.; Hingst-Zaher, E.; Santos, J. C.; Moraes, G. J.; Dowling, A. P. G.; Barros-Battesti, D. M.; Jacinavicius, F. C. (2021-11-17). "Mites (Mesostigmata: Melicharidae) associated with hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae) in Brazil". International Journal of Acarology. 47 (8): 714–718. doi:10.1080/01647954.2021.1980613. ISSN 0164-7954. S2CID 243025767.
  3. ↑ Trach, Viacheslav A.; Khaustov, Alexander A. (2017). "MITES OF THE GENUS PROCTOLAELAPS BERLESE, 1923 (ACARI: MESOSTIGMATA: MELICHARIDAE) ASSOCIATED WITH BARK BEETLES IN ASIAN RUSSIA". Acarina. 25 (2): 151–163. doi:10.21684/0132-8077-2017-25-2-151-163.
  4. 1 2 Moraes, Gilberto J. De; Britto, Erika P.J.; Mineiro, Jefferson L. De C.; Halliday, Bruce (2016-05-19). "Catalogue of the mite families Ascidae Voigts & Oudemans, Blattisociidae Garman and Melicharidae Hirschmann (Acari: Mesostigmata)". Zootaxa. 4112 (1): 1–299. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4112.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 27395107.
  5. 1 2 de Moraes, Gilberto José; Venancio, Renan; dos Santos, Victor L. V.; Paschoal, Adilson D. (2015), Carrillo, Daniel; de Moraes, Gilberto José; Peña, Jorge E. (eds.), "Potential of Ascidae, Blattisociidae and Melicharidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) as Biological Control Agents of Pest Organisms", Prospects for Biological Control of Plant Feeding Mites and Other Harmful Organisms, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 33–75, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15042-0_2, ISBN 978-3-319-15041-3, retrieved 2022-10-11
  6. ↑ Trach, Viacheslav A.; Marchenko, Irina I.; Joharchi, Omid (2019-12-30). "Redescription of the female of bumblebee-associated gamasid mite Proctolaelaps sibiriensis (Davydova, 1988) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Melicharidae) from North Asia". Acarologia. 59 (4): 531–541. doi:10.24349/acarologia/20194353. S2CID 213726679.
  7. ↑ Santos, Jandir C.; Rueda-Ramírez, Diana; Demite, Peterson R.; De Moraes, Gilberto J. (2018-02-05). "Ascidae, Blattisociidae and Melicharidae (Acari: Mesostigmata): zoogeographic analyses based on newly available databases". Zootaxa. 4377 (4): 542–564. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4377.4.4. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 29690039.
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