Endeostigmata

Taxonomy

Terpnacaridae Grandjean, 1939Grandjean, 1939:
Grandjean F. 1939. Quelques genres d’acariens appartenant au groupe des Endeostigmata. Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie 11 (ser. 2): 1–122.

Name

Terpnacarus Grandjean, 1939Grandjean, 1939:
Grandjean F. 1939. Quelques genres d’acariens appartenant au groupe des Endeostigmata. Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie 11 (ser. 2): 1–122.: 1–122

Type

Terpnacarus bouvieri Grandjean, 1939—France, Japan deciduous litter

Classification

updated 2025

Superorder Acariformes » Order Sarcoptiformes » Suborder Endeostigmata » Infraorder Terpnacarida » Superfamily Terpnacaroidea » Family Terpnacaridae » Genus Terpnacarus

Children

Terpnacarus piliger (Berlese); Terpnacarus carolinaensis Theron, 1976—acacia litter and soil, South Africa, tree hollow, Queensland; Terpnacarus subterraneus Weis-Fogh 1947—Europe; Terpnacarus gibbosus (Womersley), 1944—cosmopolitan, many litter types (=Terpnacarus glebulentus Theron, 1976Theron, 1976:
Theron PD. 1976. Three new species of the genus Alycosmesis (Acari: Terpnacaridae) from South Africa. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 38: 289–296.; =Terpnacarus variolus Shiba, 1968).

Diagnosis

Prodorsum with 1 pair of filiform trichobothria (bo) and 5 pairs of setae; naso well developed and bearing setae ro, and on its underside, the median eye; lateral eyes present or absent. Subcapitulum with 5–6 pairs of setae; rutella slender, with distal shear-like blade; chelicerae chelate-dentate, each with 2 setae. Adults with 28–35 pairs of setae on segments C–PA; 10–16 pairs of genital setae in 2 rows; 3 pairs of genital papillae; ovipositor, eugenital setae present. All pretarsi with a pair of simple claws and a claw-like empodium with a setulate (rayed) base. Gut boluses with fungal hyphae and spores. No males described.

Remarks

Terpnacarus glebulentus Theron, T. variolus Shiba, and T. gibbosus (Womersley) are indistinguishable and may all represent the same species. Terpnacarus glebulentus has been reared on fungi and is known to be thelytokous (Theron 1976Theron 1976:
Theron PD. 1976. Three new species of the genus Alycosmesis (Acari: Terpnacaridae) from South Africa. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 38: 289–296., 1979, Walter 1988cWalter 1988c:
Walter DE. 1988c. Predation and mycophagy by endeostigmatid mites (Acariformes: Prostigmata). Experimental and Applied Acarology 4: 159–166.).

References

Grandjean 1939Grandjean 1939:
Grandjean F. 1939. Quelques genres d’acariens appartenant au groupe des Endeostigmata. Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie 11 (ser. 2): 1–122.
Kethley 1982dKethley 1982d:
Kethley JB. 1982d. Endeostigmata. pp. 118–120. In: Parker SP, ed. Synopsis and classification of living organisms, Vol. 2. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Kethley 1990aKethley 1990a:
Kethley JB. 1990a. Acarina: Prostigmata (Actinedida). pp. 667–756. In: Dindal DL, ed. Soil biology guide. John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.
McDaniel and Theron 1979McDaniel and Theron 1979:
McDaniel B, Theron PD. 1979. A new distribution record and a morphological variant of Terpnacarus glebulentus Theron (Acari: Terpnacaridae). Entomological News 90 (3): 143–144.
Theron 1975Theron 1975:
Theron PD. 1975. New species of the genus Terpnacarus Grandjean (Acari: Terpnacaridae) with notes on the biology of one species. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 39: 131–141.
Walter 1988cWalter 1988c:
Walter DE. 1988c. Predation and mycophagy by endeostigmatid mites (Acariformes: Prostigmata). Experimental and Applied Acarology 4: 159–166.
Womersley 1944Womersley 1944:
Womersley H. 1944. Australian Acarina, families Alycidae and Nanorchestidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 68: 133–143.

Terpnacarus gibbosus (DEW)

Terpnacarus sp.