Endeostigmata

t

Taxonomy

Proterorhagiidae Lindquist & Palacios-Vargas, 1991—1 genus, 1 sp.

Diagnosis

Chelicerae massive, 1/3rd length of idiosoma, and chelate-serrulate; subcapitulum with elongate labium; rutella vestigial; palps with 5 free segments. Prodorsum with two pairs of trichobothria (bo capitate, le setiform), 4 pairs of setae, and remnant of median eye; lateral eyes absent; naso absent. Opisthosoma with 16 pairs of dorso-lateral setae (c1–4, d1–2, e1–2, f1–2, h1–3, ps1–3); 3 pairs of genital papillae. All pretarsi with paired claws and claw-like empodium.

Remarks

A unique mite in every respect, including its being described from a single specimen from a mine shaft in Mexico. Although they somewhat resemble strange Rhagidiidae, there are no obvious synapomorphies (see Table 2) linking the mite to the Prostigmata. An undescribed species is known from the US.

References

• Lindquist and Palacios-Vargas 1991Lindquist and Palacios-Vargas 1991:
  Lindquist EE, Palacios-Vargas JG. 1991. Proterorhagiidae (Acari: Endeostigmata), a new family of rhagidiid-like mites from Mexico. Acarologia 32 (4): 341–363.