Major mite taxa

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Taxonomy

updated 2025

Diagnosis

Medium to large-bodied; heavily sclerotized with a single holodorsal shield; green or yellow in color. Body holoid, coxal fields expanded and contiguous, forming a ventral 'cross-hatch' pattern. Dorso-sejugal furrow absent. Chelicerae astegasime, robust and strongly chelate, bases separate; stigmatal openings between cheliceral bases; peritremes absent. Palps 4-segmented, linear, lacking a thumb-claw complex. Two pairs of prodorsal trichobothria; median and lateral eyes present; eye-like postocular pustules present in some species. Body setae short and sparse; 2 pairs of genital papillae in adults. Female genital and anal openings contiguous; male genital and anal openings separate.

Similar taxa

Oribatida have only a single pair of prodorsal trichobothria.

Ecology and distribution

Labidostommatid mites are striking, morphologically distinctive animals. They are relatively common in moist forest litter and on  rough tree bark. They also inhabit mosses and lichens. These mites are ambush or stalking predators of small arthropods. They walk about on their hind three pairs of legs and use legs I to sense and capture prey.

References

• Atyeo and Crossley 1961aAtyeo and Crossley 1961a:
  Atyeo WT, Crossley DA. 1961a. Labidostommidae from Australia (Acarina, Prostigmata) with the description of a new species. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 84: 83–86.
• Atyeo and Crossley 1961bAtyeo and Crossley 1961b:
  Atyeo WT, Crossley DA. 1961b. The Labidostomidae of New Zealand (Acarina). Records of the Dominion Museum 4: 29–48.
• Kethley 1982bKethley 1982b:
  Kethley JB. 1982b. Acariformes. pp. 123–124. 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.
• Krantz 1978Krantz 1978:
  Krantz GW. 1978. A manual of acarology [2nd ed.]. Oregon State University Book Stores, Corvallis.