Major mite taxa

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Taxonomy

updated 2025

Common names

trigynaspids, cercomegistines, antennophorines

Probability of encounter

low to medium

Quarantine importance

Most are rare and have unknown ecologies; however, many trigynaspids are associated with insects, including species parasitic on ants, and a few are associated with snakes and lizards. None are known to be pests of crops or parasites of livestock or domestic animals.

Diagnosis

Mesostigmata with the adult female genital region having 2–4 shields or their remnants: mesogynial shield often reduced, without setae, latigynial shields often well developed (1- several pairs of setae); pregenital shield (sternogynium) free, fused to sternal elements, or absent (with 0–1 pair of setae). Tarsus IV with intercalary sclerite bearing setae av4/pv4.

Body often with moderate hypertrichy and separate podonotal and opisthonotal shields or holodorsal shield, rarely with opisthonotal region with separate mesonotal and pygidial elements. Venter usually with large ventrianal or genitoventral shield, rarely with small anal shield; sternal shield well developed to fragmented. Tarsus I with or without claws. Unpaired, postanal seta usually present in larva, but absent in adult. Chelicerae chelate-dentate to edentate; movable digit with 1–3 brush-like, mop-like or dendritic excrescences; palp genu with 5–7 setae. Male genital opening intercoxal or at base of tritosternum; spermatodactyl absent.

Similar taxa

Parasitina (Mesostigmata) have enlarged metasternal shields that superficially resemble the trigynaspid condition, and some primitive Uropodina (e.g., Trachytes)  do retain separate latigynial shields.  However, neither of these taxa retain av4/pv4 on tarsus IV, and uropodines usually have hidden capitula and elongate chelicerae.

Ecology and distribution

Cercomegistina are mostly free-living predators found in tropical to subtropical forest soil, decaying logs, or in beetle galleries under bark. Antennophorina are mostly insect associates as adults (usually paraphages of beetles (e.g., Passalidae, Carabidae) and millipedes or centipedes) and free-living predators in decaying logs, insect galleries or nests as immatures. However, species in at least 3 families are associated with lizards or snakes and appear to be parasites.

References

• Butler and Hunter 1968Butler and Hunter 1968:
  Butler L, Hunter PE. 1968. Redescription of Megisthanus floridanus with observations on its biology (Acarina: Megisthanidae). The Florida Entomologist 51: 187–197.
• Camin and Gorirossi 1955Camin and Gorirossi 1955:
  Camin JH, Gorirossi FE. 1955. A revision of the suborder Mesostigmata (Acarina), based on new interpretations of comparative morphological data. Chicago Academy of Sciences Special Publication 11: 1–70.
• Franks et al. 1991Franks et al. 1991:
  Franks NR, Healy KJ, Byrom L. 1991. Studies on the relationship between the ant ectoparasite Antennophorus grandis (Acarina: Antennophoridae) and its host Lasius flavus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Zoology (London) 225: 59–70.
• Johnston 1982bJohnston 1982b:
  Johnston DE. 1982b. Mesostigmata. pp. 112–116. In: Parker SP, ed. Synopsis and classification of living organisms, Vol. 2. McGraw-Hill, New York.
• Kethley 1977aKethley 1977a:
  Kethley JB. 1977a. A review of the higher categories of Trigynaspida (Acari: Parasitiformes). International Journal of Acarology 3: 129–149.
• Kinn 1971Kinn 1971:
  Kinn DN. 1971. The life cycle and behaviour of Cercoleipus coelonotus (Acarina: Mesotigmata) including a survey of phoretic mite associates of California Scolytidae. University of California Publications in Entomology 65: 66 pp.
• Krantz 1978Krantz 1978:
  Krantz GW. 1978. A manual of acarology [2nd ed.]. Oregon State University Book Stores, Corvallis.
• Krantz and Ainscough 1990Krantz and Ainscough 1990:
  Krantz GW, Ainscough B. 1990. Mesostigmata. pp. 583–665. In: Dindal DL, ed. Soil biology guide. John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.
• Lindquist and Moraza 1993Lindquist and Moraza 1993:
  Lindquist EE, Moraza ML. 1993. Pyrosejidae, a new family of trigynaspid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata: Cercomegistina) from Middle America. Acarologia 39: 203–226.
• Seeman and Walter 1997Seeman and Walter 1997:
  Seeman OD, Walter DE. 1997. A new species of Triplogyniidae (Mesostigmata: Celaenopsoidea) from Australian rainforests. International Journal of Acarology 23: 49–59.
• Walter 2000Walter 2000:
  Walter DE. 2000. A jumping mesostigmatan: Saltiseius hunteri n.g., n. sp. (Acari: Mesostigmata: Trigynaspida: Saltiseiidae, n. fam.). International Journal of Acarology 26: 25–31.