The genital opening and its shields are post-coxal in most
Acariformes (except many Astigmatina). In Parasitiformes, however, with
very rare exceptions, the genital
shield intrudes into the intercoxal region, occasionally as anterior as coxae I.
In Sejina, the genital shieldgenital shield:
a shield or shields covering the genital opening; in female mongynaspine Mesostigmata this shield is usually called the epigynal (epigynial) shield.
is often large
enough to cover most of the intercoxal region, including the sternal shieldsternal shield:
a shield in the anterior intercoxal region of parasitiform mites that bears one or more pairs of sternal setae.
remnants.
Author: David E. Walter
Content last updated Sept. 2006, unless indicated otherwise
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