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Podocinidae Berlese, 1913
Superorder Parasitiformes » Order Mesostigmata » Suborder Monogynaspida » Infraorder Gamasina » Hyporder Dermanyssiae » Superfamily Phytoseioidea » Family Podocinidae
Podocinum Berlese, Podocinella Evans & Hyatt
bearing 3 pairs of setae
-type of sperm induction system
I and genugenu:Yellow to orange-brown hypotrichous dermanyssine mesostigmatans with holodorsal shieldholodorsal shield:
a shield that covers all of the dorsum. In Mesostigmata, the holodorsal shield is often interpreted as resulting from the fusion of podonotal and opisthonotal shields and a suture between these regions is often visible (see recurved and procurved).
with 16–17 pairs of setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
, a cerotegumentcerotegument:
the outer layers of the epicuticle, including the wax and cement layers; often thin and inconspicuous, but sometimes very thick, ornamented, and obscuring the underlying cuticle; thick ceroteguments often can be peeled off to expose a very different-looking mite.
in the form of a polygonal arrays of small tubercles, and with a pair of large glandgland:
usually referring to a glandular opening in the cuticle such as the lateral opisthonotal glands in the Sarcoptiformes or the idionotal glands in the Mesostigmata (see gdj etc. above), including hypertrophied openings that produce defensive secretions.
openings posteriorly. Peritremes typical running to or past coxacoxa:
the basal segment of the leg, articulating with (Parasitiformes) or fused to (Acariformes) the body wall. I; peritrematalperitrematal:
(peritrematic) of or referring to the peritreme; adjectival form of peritreme.
shield usually narrow, joining podonotal shieldpodonotal shield:
the anterior shield in mesostigmatans with divided dorsal shields. 
anteriorly. Sternal shieldsternal shield:
a shield in the anterior intercoxal region of parasitiform mites that bears one or more pairs of sternal setae. bearing 3 pairs of setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions. (st1–3) and 2 pairs of lyrifissures (stp1–2); metasternal shields subtriangularsubtriangular:
more or less triangular.
and bearing st4, stp3; genital shieldgenital shield:
a shield or shields covering the genital opening; in female mongynaspine Mesostigmata this shield is usually called the epigynal (epigynial) shield.
usually trapezoidal and bearing 1 pair of setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.; ventrianal shieldventrianal shield:
in Mesostigmata, a ventral shield bearing the anal opening, circum anal setae, and one or more pairs of ventral setae or pores (lyrifissures) [see anal shield]; maybe rather narrow or very broad and covering most of the gaster.
broad, free, and bearing several pairs of ventral setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions. and 3 circumanal setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.. Tarsustarsus:
(pl. tarsi) the subdistal leg segment between the tibia and the pretarsus (apotele).
I slender, elongate, without claws, but with 1 (Podocinella) or 2 (Podocinum) whip-like setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.; trochantertrochanter:
the leg segment between the coxa and the femur. I with 6 setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.; tibiatibia:
(pl. tibiae) the leg segment between the genu and the tarsus. I and genugenu:
(pl. genua) (= patella) the 4th leg segment, between the femur and tibia.
I each with 4/3 dorsal/ventral setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.; genugenu:
(pl. genua) (= patella) the 4th leg segment, between the femur and tibia.
IV with 4/1–2 dorsal/ ventral setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.. Chelicerae chelate-dentatechelate-dentate:
pincer-like chelicerae with teeth.
; movable digit without excrescences. Palppalp:
(= pedipalp) the second pair of limbs in arachnids, used in feeding and originating on either side of the chelicerae. In mites, the palps may be vestigial, with only a few segments, or have a maximum of 5 freely articulating segments (rarely the femur is subdivided) and a distal or subdistal apotele.
genu with 6 setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body. Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions., palp apotelepalptarsal apotele:
(= palp apotele, palptarsal claw) the most distal segment of the palp; absent in Acariformes, claw-like in Opilioacarida, and a subdistal, tined structure in the Mesostigmata. 3 tined; corniculicorniculus:
(pl. corniculi) (also, external malae) a usually horn-like process (sometimes toothed, bifurcate, trifurcate, spine-like, spatulate, or membranous) on the subcapitulum of parasitiform mites that usually supports the salivary styli. A toothed corniculus could be confused with a rutellum, a possibly homologous structure in Acariformes and Opilioacarida. Phytoseiid image is spatulate corniculus.
horn-like. Tritosternumtritosternum:
the sternum of the 3rd body segment (between legs I); produced as a biflagellate structure in Mesostigmata, although sometimes the flagellae (laciniae) are partially or completely fused. 
biflagellate with columnar basebase:
the usually columnar basal part of the tritosternum; sometimes expanded and rectangular or otherwise modified; the most basal part of any structure.
. Tectumgnathotectum:
(= epistome, tectum) an often membranous dorsal projection of the anterior margin of the basis capitulum in Mesostigmata; often diagnostic at family-, genus- or species-levels; also often difficult to see without high magnification and good optics.
with 3 subequal tines each usually divided or toothed distally; subcapitular gutter with numerous denticlesdenticles:
small tooth-like processes, e.g., on the subcapitula of ticks and many mesostigmatans.
per row. Female sperm induction pores near basebase:
the usually columnar basal part of the tritosternum; sometimes expanded and rectangular or otherwise modified; the most basal part of any structure. of coxae IV. Males with genital opening at basebase:
the usually columnar basal part of the tritosternum; sometimes expanded and rectangular or otherwise modified; the most basal part of any structure. of tritosternumtritosternum:
the sternum of the 3rd body segment (between legs I); produced as a biflagellate structure in Mesostigmata, although sometimes the flagellae (laciniae) are partially or completely fused. in sternogenital shield; spermatodactylspermatodactyl:
(also spermadactyl) the 'sperm finger' on the chelicerae of male dermanyssine Mesostigmata used to transfer sperm to the secondary sperm system in the female; spermatodactyls take various forms, from simple finger-like processes to very long, contorted structures. 
simple.
Mesostigmatans with oval bodies covered by a single dorsal shield with tuberculate ornamentation and very long legs I that lack ambulacra are likely to be Podocinidae or Epicriidae. Epicriids have a small anal or ventrianal shield and several of the long setae on tarsus I end in small knobs. Species of Epicriopsis (Ameroseiidae) also have anal or small ventrianal shields and have claws and empodium on legs I. Species of Euepicrius (Ologamasidae) and Antennoseius (Ascidae) somewhat resemble podocinids, but have 2 subequal dorsal shields.
Author: David E. Walter
Content last updated Sept. 2006, unless indicated otherwise
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