Endeostigmata

Taxonomy

Grandjeanicidae Kethley, 1977

Name

Grandjeanicus Theron 1974Theron 1974:
Theron PD. 1974. Hybalicidae, a new family of endeostigmatic mites (Acari: Trombidiformes). Acarologia 16: 397–412.: 63

Type

Grandjeanicus uncus Theron 1974—dry soil, South Africa

Classification

updated 2025

Superorder Acariformes » Order Sarcoptiformes » Suborder Endeostigmata » Infraorder Terpnacarida » Superfamily Oehserchestoidea » Family Grandjeanicidae » Genus Grandjeanicus

Children

Grandjeanicus gabonensis Coineau & Theron 1997—Africa; Grandjeanicus spp.—subtropical forest leaf litter in Neotropics (NA-SA); deep soil WNA; Grandjeanicus theroni Walter—tree hollows, Queensland

Diagnosis

Prodorsum with 1 pair of filiform trichobothria (bo) and 4 pairs of setae (exp absent); naso well developed and bearing setae ro; median and lateral eyes absent. Subcapitulum with 3 pairs of adoral setae and 2 pairs of hypostomal setae; rutella slender, distally dentate; chelicerae chelate-dentate, each with 2 setae. Body globular with 3–4 pairs of pilose-acicular setae in row c, and 11 pairs of pilose and truncate setae in rows d–h; 3 pairs of genital papillae; 8 pairs of genital setae; ovipositor, eugenital setae present. Pretarsus I without claws or empodium, but with auditory complex and flagellum. Gut boluses of fungal material and/or arthropod cuticle often present. Males unknown.

Remarks

These mites are relatively rare and primarily tropical in distribution. Legs I are used as antennae, and the complex arrangement of setal structures distally on tarsus I has been interpreted as an auditory-stridulatory complex (Coineau and Theron 1997). The gut contents of the specimens from Queensland contain some fungal matter, but mostly consist of the cuticle of small mites, especially Immature Oribatida (Walter 2001Walter 2001:
Walter DE. 2001. Endemism and cryptogenesis in ‘segmented’ mites: A review of Australian Alicorhagiidae, Terpnacaridae, Oehserchestidae and Grandjeanicidae (Acari, Sarcoptiformes). Australian Journal of Entomology 40: 207–218.).

Similar taxa

The globular body and highly modified legs I are reminiscent of Sphaerolichus, but the long flagellum, single prodorsal sensillus, and array of pilose, cuneiform opisthosomal setae are distinctive.

References

Kethley 1977bKethley 1977b:
Kethley JB. 1977b. The status of Hybalicus Berlese, 1913 and Oehserchestes Jacot, 1939 (Acari: Acariformes: Endeostigmata). Fieldiana Zoology 72 (4): 59–64.
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 1974Theron 1974:
Theron PD. 1974. Hybalicidae, a new family of endeostigmatic mites (Acari: Trombidiformes). Acarologia 16: 397–412.

Grandjeanicus theroni	Grandjeanicus prodorsum