Is it a mite?

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Common names

symphylans

Probability of encounter

medium

Quarantine importance

A few species are garden and glasshouse pests.

Similarity to mites

None other than small size. The distinct head with bead-like antennae and the trunk with many leg-bearing segments should distinguish symphylans from mites.

Morphology

Normal adult length: 2–15 mm
Bodybody:
the idiosoma of mites.
tagmata: head, trunk
Eyes: absent
Antennae: moniliform (bead-like), many segmented
Mouthparts: entognathous mandibles, maxillae, labium (fused 2nd maxillae)
Legs: 6–12 pairs
Respiration: tracheaetracheae:
 the long, filamentous tubes that ramify through the body of some mites for the exchange of gases.
, spiracles under antennae on head
Gonopore: venterventer:
the lower or under side; opposed to dorsum.
of 4th trunk segment
Distinguishing features: myriapod form; distal trichobothriatrichobothrium:
(pl. trichobothria) (= bothridial sensillum) an often elaborately modified seta set in a cup-like base; forms include filiform, ciliate, pectinate or variously thickened or clubbed (bat-like to globose or capitate).
and spinneretspinneret:
a structure that produces silken fibers.  In spider mites, the spinneret is in the form of a short, blunt seta-like structure on the palp tarsus.
cerci

Comments: Symphylans have a number of unique features including cranial tracheaetracheae:
 the long, filamentous tubes that ramify through the body of some mites for the exchange of gases.
, gonopore on trunk segment IV, and cerci used as spinnerets and flanked by well developed trichobothriatrichobothrium:
(pl. trichobothria) (= bothridial sensillum) an often elaborately modified seta set in a cup-like base; forms include filiform, ciliate, pectinate or variously thickened or clubbed (bat-like to globose or capitate).
. The legs have styli and eversible sacks associated with the coxae, as do diplurans.

Diversity

<200 species

References

• Edwards 1990bEdwards 1990b:
  Edwards CA. 1990b. Symphyla. pp. 891–910. In: Dindal DL. (Ed.) Soil biology guide. John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.
• Tree of Life Web Project 2002hTree of Life Web Project 2002h:
  Tree of Life Web Project. 2002h. Symphyla. Version 01 January 2002 (temporary). The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/