Prostigmata

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Prostigmata
Temporal range: Devonian–present
Eriophyes cerasicrumena (family Eriophyidae), galls on cherry
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Trombidiformes
Suborder: Prostigmata
Infraorders
  • Anystina
  • Eleutherengona
  • Eupodina
  • Labidostommatina
Trombidium holosericeum (family Trombidiidae)

Prostigmata is a suborder of mites belonging to the order Trombidiformes, which contains the "sucking" members of the "true mites" (Acariformes).

Many

parasites are species of the gall mites (Eriophyidae, e.g. the redberry mite Acalitus essigi), Tarsonemidae (e.g. the cyclamen mite, Steneotarsonemus pallidus), and the spider mites of the Tetranychidae (e.g. the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae
).

Other Prostigmata live as parasites on

predators of small invertebrates – including smaller Prostigmata – yet others have a more varied lifestyle (e.g. Tydeidae) or switch their food sources as they mature (e.g. Erythraeidae). The suborder also includes the family Halacaridae (marine mites).[1]

Some of the Prostigmata parasitizing vertebrates are of medical relevance due to causing skin diseases in humans. These include for example

harvest mites ("chiggers") of the Trombiculidae
.

Description

Prostigmata are usually 0.1–2 mm long, though some giant red velvet mites can reach 16 mm. They have a range of different body forms and colours.[2] As mites, most of them have eight legs (six in their larval stage). However, the Eriophyoidea instead have four legs, all positioned at the front of a long, worm-like body.[3] The name "Prostigmata" comes from mites of this group having spiracles (stigmata) on the prodorsum, usually between the chelicerae or on its lateral margins.[4]

Habitat

Many prostigmatans live in soil. These occur in soils as varied as agricultural fields, burned prairies, tidal marshlands, drained lake beds with algal blooms, and Antarctic soils.[5]

Other prostigmatans are aquatic. The group includes Hydrachnidia, commonly known as the water mites. Hydrachnidia live in many kinds of freshwater habitats, including lentic (e.g. lakes, ponds), lotic (e.g. rivers, streams), springs and interstitial waters.[6] Also in the Prostigmata are family Halacaridae, which are mostly marine.[7]

Other habitats of Prostigmata include caves, algae, mosses, lichens, shrubs and trees.[2]

Diet

Prostigmata have a wide range of diets, including species that are predators, herbivores, fungivores, microbivores and parasites.[5]

Among the soil-dwelling Prostigmata, the smaller predatory species have nematodes as an important part of their diet. They may also feed occasionally on fungi, piercing fungal hyphae using stylet chelicerae. Larger predatory species, such as members of Bdelloidea and Trombidoidea, feed on other arthropods or their eggs.[5]

Systematics and taxonomy

The Prostigmata make up the bulk of the

suborders but this does not allow for a sufficiently precise classification of the mites and is adjusted in more modern treatments.[8]

They contain a few of the little-known "

Astigmata.[8][9]

The Prostigmata present their own taxonomic and systematic problems even in the redefined

suborder Anystina are here considered the largest possible clade containing the Anystidae but no taxon assigned to the other two suborders.[9]

Currently accepted taxonomy

As of May 2022[update], Catalogue of Life and Integrated Taxonomic Information System accept the following taxonomy for Prostigmata, including four infraorders:[10][11]

Anystina

Eleutherengona

(Also known as Eleutherengonides)

Eupodina

Labidostommatina

References

  1. ^ Halacaridae: Marine mites Archived 2010-06-02 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-12-809633-8
    , retrieved 2023-01-16
  3. ^ "Eupodides, Eriophyoidea". idtools.org. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  4. ^ "All mites have a small head". keys.lucidcentral.org. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-0-12-179726-3
    , retrieved 2023-01-16
  6. S2CID 10262035
    .
  7. S2CID 52145427
    .
  8. ^ a b c Heather Proctor (August 9, 1998). "Acariformes. The "mite-like" mites". Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
  9. ^ a b Heather Proctor (August 9, 1998). "Trombidiformes. Trombidiform mites". Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
  10. ^ "Prostigmata | COL". www.catalogueoflife.org. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  11. ^ "ITIS - Report: Prostigmata". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-30.


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