Mesostigmata

t

Taxonomy

updated 2025

Diagnostic characters

• Uropodine mesostigmatans with a large central dorsal shield
• Pygidial free or fused to dorsal shield
• Peritrematal shields large
• Scabellum and pedofossae absent
• Peritremes linear, extending to coxa I
• Mesogynal shield narrow and weakly attached to strap-like latigynial shields bearing st5
• Metapodal elements incorporated into peritrematal shields
• Anal opening in small ventrianal shield that captures one pair of ventral setae; 3 circumanal setae.
• Legs I with ambulacra, coxae I cylindrical, widely separate; coxae IV with 2 pairs of setae.
• Chelicerae elongate, apparently raptorial, bearing pilus dentilis and 3 membranous, mushroom-like structures; deutosternal groove crowded with few denticles per row.

Ecology and distribution

Protodinychus have been collected in lakeside debris, pastures, and in beaver lodges (with deutonymphs phoretic on beaver beetles).

References

• Ainscough 1981Ainscough 1981:
  Ainscough BD. 1981. Uropodine studies. I. Suprageneric classification in the cohort Uropodina Kramer, 1882 (Acari: Mesostigmata). International Journal of Acarology 7: 47–56.
• Athias-Binche and Evans 1981Athias-Binche and Evans 1981:
  Athias-Binche F, Evans GO. 1981. Observations on the genus Protodinychus Evans, 1957 (Acari: Mesostigmata) with descriptions of the male and phoretic deuteronymph. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (Section B) 81B: 25–36.
• Evans and Till 1979Evans and Till 1979:
  Evans EO, Till WM. 1979. Mesostigmatic mites of Britain and Ireland (Chelicerata: Acari-Parasitiformes): An introduction to their external morphology and classification. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 35 (2): 145–270.
• Gilyarov and Bregatova 1977Gilyarov and Bregatova 1977:
  Gilyarov MS, Bregatova NG, eds. 1977. Handbook for the identification of soil-inhabiting mites, Mesostigmata. Zoological Institute of the Academy of Sciences, Petrograd.
• Johnston 1961Johnston 1961:
  Johnston DE. 1961. A review of the lower uropodid mites (former Thinozerconoidea, Protodinychoidea and Trachytoidea) with notes on the classification of the Uropodina (Acarina). Acarologia 3: 522–545.
• 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.