Mite
Mites | |
---|---|
Trombidium holosericeum mite (Acariformes) | |
Varroa destructor (Parasitiformes) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Mites are found in two superorders | |
Mites are small
The scientific discipline devoted to the study of mites is called acarology.
Evolution and taxonomy
The mites are not a defined taxon, but is used for two distinct groups of arachnids, the
Taxonomy
- Superorder Parasitiformes – ticks and a variety of mites[2]
- Holothyrida - small group of predatory mites native to former Gondwana landmasses
- Ixodida– ticks
- Mesostigmata – a large order of predatory and parasitic mites
- Trigynaspida - large, diverse order
- Monogynaspida- diverse order of parasitic and predatory mites
- Sejida - small order of mites containing five families
- Superorder Acariformes – the most diverse group of mites
- paraphyletic)
- Eriophyoidea – gall mites and relatives
- Trombidiformes – plant parasitic mites (spider mites, peacock mites, red-legged earth mites, etc.), snout mites, chiggers, hair follicle mites, velvet mites, water mites, etc.
- Sphaerolichida - small order of mites containing two families
- Prostigmata - large order of sucking mites
- Sarcoptiformes
- Oribatida – oribatid mites, beetle mites, armored mites (formerly known as Cryptostigmata)
- Astigmatina – stored product, fur, feather, dust, and human itch mites, etc.
Fossil record
The mite fossil record is sparse, due to their small size and low preservation potential.[5] The oldest fossils of acariform mites are from the Rhynie Chert, Scotland, which dates to the early Devonian, around 410 million years ago[6][5] while the earliest fossils of Parasitiformes are known from amber specimens dating to the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 million years ago.[5][7] Most fossil acarids are no older than the Tertiary (up to 65 mya).[8]
Phylogeny
Members of the superorders
Arachnida
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"Acari" (mites and ticks) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
However, a few phylogenomic studies have found strong support for monophyly of Acari and a sister relationship between Acariformes and Parasitiformes,[14][15] although this finding has been questioned, with other studies suggesting that this likely represents a long branch attraction artefact.[12]
Anatomy
External
Mites are tiny members of the class Arachnida; most are in the size range 250 to 750 μm (0.01 to 0.03 in) but some are larger and some are no bigger than 100 μm (0.004 in) as adults. The body plan has two regions, a cephalothorax (with no separate head) or prosoma, and an opisthosoma or abdomen. Segmentation has almost entirely been lost and the prosoma and opisthosoma are fused, only the positioning of the limbs indicating the location of the segments.[16]
At the front of the body is the gnathosoma or capitulum. This is not a head and does not contain the eyes or the brain, but is a retractable feeding apparatus consisting of the chelicerae, the pedipalps and the oral cavity. It is covered above by an extension of the body carapace and is connected to the body by a flexible section of cuticle. Two-segmented chelicerae is the ancestral condition in Acariformes, but in more derived groups they are single-segmented. And three-segmented chelicerae is the ancestral condition in Parasitiformes, but has been reduced to just two segments in more derived groups.[18] The pedipalps differ between taxa depending on diet; in some species the appendages resemble legs while in others they are modified into chelicerae-like structures. The oral cavity connects posteriorly to the mouth and pharynx.[16]
Most mites have four pairs of legs (two pairs in Eriophyoidea[19]), each with six segments, which may be modified for swimming or other purposes. The dorsal surface of the body is clad in hardened tergites and the ventral surface by hardened sclerites; sometimes these form transverse ridges. The gonopore (genital opening) is located on the ventral surface between the fourth pair of legs. Some species have one to five median or lateral eyes but many species are blind, and slit and pit sense organs are common. Both body and limbs bear setae (bristles) which may be simple, flattened, club-shaped or sensory. Mites are usually some shade of brown, but some species are red, orange, black or green, or some combination of these colours.[16]
Many mites have stigmata (openings used in respiration). In some mites, the stigmata are associated with peritremes: paired, tubular, elaborated extensions of the tracheal system. The higher taxa of mites are defined by these structures:[20][21][22]
- Oribatida, formerly known as Cryptostigmata (crypto- = hidden), and Endeostigmata (endeo- = internal) lack primary stigmata and peritremes but may have secondary respiratory systems.[23] For example, oribatids in the suborder Brachypylina have stigmata on the ventral plate of the body that are difficult to see (thus the former name Cryptostigmata).[24]
- Astigmata (a- = without) lack stigmata and respire through their cuticle.[25]
- Prostigmata (pro- = before/in front) have stigmata at the front of the body, usually on the lateral margins or between the chelicerae. These are associated with peritremes that may be on the prodorsum near the cheliceral bases, or be horn-like and emergent, or form a line or network on the dorsum of the gnathosomal capsule.[21]
- Opilioacaridae have four pairs of dorsolateral stigmata that are added sequentially during development.[21]
- The other three orders of Parasitiformes, Holothyrida, Ixodida, and Mesostigmata (meso- = middle), have just one pair of stigmata in the region of the fourth pair of legs. They also have peritremes: in Ixodida these consist of paired encircling plates around the stigmata, while the peritremes in Mesostigmata and Holothyrida are grooves extending from the stigmata anteriorly (sometimes also posteriorly).[22]
Internal
Mite digestive systems have
Reproduction and life cycle
The sexes are separate in mites; males have a pair of testes in the mid-region of the body, each connected to the gonopore by a vas deferens, and in some species there is a chitinous penis; females have a single ovary connected to the gonopore by an oviduct, as well as a seminal receptacle for the storage of sperm. In most mites, sperm is transferred to the female indirectly; the male either deposits a spermatophore on a surface from which it is picked up by the female, or he uses his chelicerae or third pair of legs to insert it into the female's gonopore. In some of the Acariformes, insemination is direct using the male's penis.[16] The spermatophora in all mites are aflagellate.[31]
The eggs are laid in the substrate, or wherever the mite happens to live. They take up to six weeks to hatch, according to species, with the next stage being the six-legged larvae. After three moults, the larvae become nymphs,[32] with eight legs, and after a further three moults, they become adults. Longevity varies between species, but the lifespan of mites is short compared to many other arachnids.[16]
Ecology
Niches
Mites occupy a wide range of
The mites living in soil consist of a range of taxa. Oribatida and Prostigmata are more numerous in soil than Mesostigmata, and have more soil-dwelling species.[41] When soil is affected by an ecological disturbance such as agriculture, most mites (Astigmata, Mesostigmata and Prostigmata) recolonise it within a few months, whereas Oribatida take multiple years.[42]
Parasitism
Many mites are
Parasitic mites sometimes infest insects.
Plant pests include the so-called
Dispersal
Being unable to fly, mites need some other means of dispersal. On a small scale, walking is used to access other suitable locations in the immediate vicinity. Some species mount to a high point and adopt a dispersal posture and get carried away by the wind, while others waft a thread of silk aloft to balloon to a new position.[50]
Parasitic mites use their hosts to disperse, and spread from host to host by direct contact. Another strategy is
Relationship with humans
Mites are tiny and apart from those that are of economic concern to humans, little studied. The majority are beneficial, living in the soil or aqueous environments and assisting in the decomposition of decaying organic material, as part of the carbon cycle.[37]
Two species live on humans, namely Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis; both are frequently referred to as eyelash mites.
Medical significance
The majority of mite species are harmless to humans and
Among domestic animals, sheep are affected by the mite Psoroptes ovis which lives on the skin, causing hypersensitivity and inflammation.[61] Hay mites are a suspected reservoir for scrapie, a prion disease of sheep.[62]
In beekeeping
The mite Varroa destructor is a serious pest of honey bees, contributing to colony collapse disorder in commercial hives. This organism is an obligate external parasite, able to reproduce only in bee colonies. It directly weakens its host by sucking up the bee's fat, and can spread RNA viruses including deformed wing virus. Heavy infestation causes the death of a colony, generally over the winter. Since 2006, more than 10 million beehives have been lost.[63][64]
Biological pest control
Various mites prey on other invertebrates and can be used to control their populations. Phytoseiidae, especially members of Amblyseius, Metaseiulus, and Phytoseiulus, are used to control pests such as spider mites.[65] Among the Laelapidae, Gaeolaelaps aculeifer and Stratiolaelaps scimitus are used to control fungus gnats, poultry red mites and various soil pests.[66]
In culture
Mites were first observed under the
See also
- Chigger bite
- Copra itch
- Gamasoidosis
- Grain itch
- Grocer's itch
- List of mites associated with cutaneous reactions
References
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External links
- Bitingmites.org: What's biting you?
- Mites and Ticks chapter in United States Environmental Protection Agency and University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences National Public Health Pesticide Applicator Training Manual
- Mites at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)