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Exotic mite taxa—Key feature pages

Number of legs in adult

Most adult female mites have 4 pairs of legs (octopod), as do the nymphal stages, and only the larva (or prelarvaprelarva:
(also deutovum, prolarva) the first instar in acariform mites having a complete ontogenetic sequence, but absent in derived Prostigmata and Parasitiformes (except Opilioacarida); incompletely formed, without functional mouthparts, often retained within the egg shell or just extruding from it, and usually inactive; hexapod or apodous.
 when present) have 3 pairs of legs (hexapodhexapod:
with three pairs of legs (i.e. 6 legs), as in the larvae of mites or the larviform stages of others.
). Exceptions do occur, especially among the plant-parasitic mites.

  • The Penthaleidae (Eupodoidea) always have 4 pairs of legs in nymphs and adults.

  • The Eriophyoidea always have 2 pairs of legs in all active stages from larva to adult. These are the only mites know to have only 2 pairs of legs, although some insect parasitoid TarsonemoideaTarsonemoidea:
    (also Tarsonemina) a superfamily within Prostigmata > infraorder Eleutherengona > hyporder Heterostigmata consisting of two families: Tarsonemidae and Podapolipidae.
     have physogastricphysogastry:
    swelling of the opisthosoma to accommodate massive numbers of eggs or developing young.  Physogastry is common only in certain heterostigmtans including Pyemotidae, Pygmephoridae, and Podapolipidae.
     females with legs reduced to a single pair of hookhook:
    (as in cheliceral hook) the distal hook-like tips of chelicerae in the Mesostigmata, as opposed to cheliceral teeth.
    -like appendages.

  • The Tetranychoidea usually have 4 pairs of legs in the nymphs and adults; however, legs IV are not expressed by species in several genera of Tenuipalpidae including: Larvacarus, Raoiellana, and Phytoptipalpus.

  • The Tarsonemidae (TarsonemoideaTarsonemoidea:
    (also Tarsonemina) a superfamily within Prostigmata > infraorder Eleutherengona > hyporder Heterostigmata consisting of two families: Tarsonemidae and Podapolipidae.
    ) always have 4 pairs of legs in the adults, although those of the adult female are reduced and end in a long seta. Immature stages are hexapodhexapod:
    with three pairs of legs (i.e. 6 legs), as in the larvae of mites or the larviform stages of others.
    . Some insect parasitoid TarsonemoideaTarsonemoidea:
    (also Tarsonemina) a superfamily within Prostigmata > infraorder Eleutherengona > hyporder Heterostigmata consisting of two families: Tarsonemidae and Podapolipidae.
    , however, may be hexapodhexapod:
    with three pairs of legs (i.e. 6 legs), as in the larvae of mites or the larviform stages of others.
     as adults.

 

Feature pages