Endeostigmata

t

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.

Diagnosis

Prodorsum with 1 pair of filiform trichobothria (bo) and 5 pairs of setae, mostly expanded to foliose; naso well developed and bearing setae ro, and on its underside, the median eye; lateral eyes 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, mostly expanded, foliose or subrectangular; 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

Little is known about these extremely tiny but ornately ornamented mites.

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.
• 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.