The status of Hybalicus Berlese, 1913 and Oehserchestes Jacot, 1939 (Acari, Acariformes, Endeostigmata) / John B. Kethley.

v.72:no.4(1977)

Endemism and cryptogenesis in 'segmented' mites: A review of Australian Alicorhagiidae, Terpnacaridae, Oehserchestidae and Grandjeanicidae (Acari : sarcoptiformes)

Endeostigmata are early derivative acariform mites, fossils of which are known from the Devonian. Extant species bear numerous plesiomorphies, the most striking being remnant opisthosomal segmentation. Also, many are all-female parthenogens with broad geographical distributions. Many of the species reported in the present study may represent clones of ancient Gondwana species. Before the present study only a handful of endeostigmatans had been reported from Australia. A key to the families of Endeostigmata is provided in the present paper, along with a review of the Australian fauna of the families Alicorhagiidae (new record), Grandjeanicidae (new record), Oehserchestidae (new record), and Terpnacaridae. Terpnacarus gibbosus (Womersley) is redescribed. A report of the first records of the cosmopolitan parthenogens Alicorhagia usitata Theron et al., Alycosmesis palmata (Oudemans), Stigmalychus veretrum Theron et al., Terpnacarus carolinaensis Theron, and Oehserchestes arboriger (Theron) in Australia is provided, along with a description of the new species Grandjeanicus theroni (Grandjeanicidae). Terpnacarus variolus Shiba and T. glebulentus Theron are junior synonyms of T. gibbosus.

Carcases and mites

Mites are involved in the decomposition of animal carcases and human corpses at every stage. From initial decay at the fresh stage until dry decomposition at the skeletal stage, a huge diversity of Acari, including members of the Mesostigmata, Prostigmata, Astigmata, Endeostigmata, Oribatida and Ixodida, are an integral part of the constantly changing food webs on, in and beneath the carrion. During the desiccation stage in wave 6 of M,gnin's system, mites can become the dominant fauna on the decomposing body. Under conditions unfavourable for the colonisation of insects, such as concealment, low temperature or mummification, mites might become the most important or even the only arthropods on a dead body. Some mite species will be represented by a few specimens, whereas others might build up in numbers to several million individuals. Astigmata are most prominent in numbers and Mesostigmata in diversity. More than 100 mite species and over 60 mite families were collected from animal carcases, and around 75 species and over 20 families from human corpses.