Mesostigmata

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Taxonomy

updated 2025

Diagnostic characters

• Dorsaldorsal:
  relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
  shield lightly sclerotized and with 29 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.
  , 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.
  J5 absent
• Sternal shieldsternal shield:
  a shield in the anterior intercoxal region of parasitiform mites that bears one or more pairs of sternal setae.
  reduced and bearing 2 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.
  
• 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.
  simple or bifurcatebifurcate:
  split into two distally or with two projections. 
  
• Chelicerae tong-liketong-like:
  resembling a pair of ice tongs; helicerae that resemble opposed hooks, usually edentate or at most with small teeth.  
  , with membranous lobe
• 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.
  simple, smoothly triangular
• Genugenu:
  (pl. genua) (= patella) the 4th leg segment, between the femur and tibia.
  III with 8 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.
  (1–2/1,2/1–1), tibiatibia:
  (pl. tibiae) the leg segment between the genu and the tarsus.
  III with 7 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.
  (1–1/1,2/1–1)
• Pretarsi with large membranous pad and claws

More about Afrocypholaelaps on Bee Mite ID

Similar taxa

The most reliable character for the Ameroseiidae is the lack 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.
J5 on the posteriorposterior:
the back part of the body or towards that region in comparison, e.g., 'posterior to'.
dorsal shield. However, among the taxa with toothed or bifurcate 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.
, ameroseiids are likely to be commonly confused only with species of Proctolaelaps, which occur in similar habitats, but Proctolaelaps have numerous dorsaldorsal:
relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
shield 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.
(including most of the r–R rows) and a ventralventral:
relating to the lower or under side; opposed to dorsal.
mucro on the chelicerae; rami of spermathecaspermatheca:
a structure in the female for storing sperm, typically sac-like.
fused. Species of Hattena and Neocypholaelaps also live in flowers, eat pollen and nectar, and use birds or insects for transport and can be differentiated in the key below.

Key to Flower-inhabiting Ameroseiidae (females)

1. Dorsal 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.
   in s- & r-series 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.
   leaf-like and biserratebiserrate:
   with saw-like teeth on two sides (see serrate).
   .............................. Neocypholaelaps stridulans group
   - Dorsal 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.
   acicular, simplesimple:
   unadorned; simple setae are needle-like and without hairs or pectins.
   or weakly barbed.............................. 2

2. Pretarsi with distinct claws; often some dorsaldorsal:
   relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
   shield 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.
   thickened and barbed.............................. Neocypholaelaps
   - Pretarsi without distinct claws, only pad-like pulvilluspulvillus:
   a membranous, pad-like structure associated with the claws in Mesostigmata. 
   ; dorsaldorsal:
   relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
   shield 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.
   fine, simplesimple:
   unadorned; simple setae are needle-like and without hairs or pectins.
   .............................. 3

3. Dorsaldorsal:
   relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
   shield with 29 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.
   ; ducts fused above spermathecaspermatheca:
   a structure in the female for storing sperm, typically sac-like.
   .............................. Afrocypholaelaps
   - Dorsaldorsal:
   relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
   shield with 25 or fewer 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.
   ; ducts separate.............................. Hattena

Ecology and distribution

Species of Afrocypholaelaps inhabit flowers and feed on pollen and nectar. They are phoretic on flower-visiting insects, including honeybees and lepidopterans. A. africana is known from Africa, Australia and Papua New Guinea; A. lindquisti (Prasad) from a noctuid moth in Hawaii; A. ranomafanaensis Haitlinger from a butterfly in Madagascar.

References

• Domrow 1963Domrow 1963:
  Domrow R. 1963. New records and species of Austromalayan laelapid mites. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 88: 199-220.
• Domrow 1966bDomrow 1966b:
  Domrow R. 1966b. Some mite parasites of Australian birds. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 90: 190-217.
• Domrow 1979Domrow 1979:
  Domrow, R. 1979. Ascid and ameroseiid mites phoretic on Australian mammals and birds. Records of the Western Australian Museum 8: 97-116.
• Elsen 1972Elsen 1972:
  Elsen P. 1972. Afrocypholaelaps gen. nov., un nouveau genre pour Neocypholaelaps africana Evans, 1963, et redescription de cette espèce (Acari: Mesostigmata). Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines 86: 158-162.
• Evans 1963Evans 1963:
  Evans GO. 1963. The genus Neocypholaelaps Vitzthum (Acari: Mesostigmata). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (13th ser.) 6: 209-230.
• Halliday 1997aHalliday 1997a:
  Halliday RB. 1997a. Revision of the Australian Ameroseiidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Invertebrate Taxonomy 10: 179-201.
• Seeman 1996Seeman 1996:
  Seeman OD. 1996. Flower mites and phoresy: The biology of Hattena panopla Domrow and Hattena cometis Domrow (Acari: Mesostigmata: Ameroseiidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 44: 193-203.
• Seeman and Walter 1995Seeman and Walter 1995:
  Seeman OD and Walter DE. 1995. Life history of Afrocypholaelaps africana (Evans) (Parasitiformes: Ameroseiidae), a mite inhabiting mangrove flowers and phoretic on honeybees. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 34: 45-50.