Raphignathoidea

Camerobia sp., from Walter et al. (2009).

Belongs within: Eleutherengonides.
Contains: Cryptognathus, Eupalopsellidae, Eustigmaeus, Stigmaeus, Agistemus, Zetzellia, Raphignathus, Caligonellidae, Neophyllobius.

The Raphignathoidea are a group of often predatory mites, many species of which are found in dry habitats. Members of the group vary from heavily armoured taxa such as the Homocaligidae and Cryptognathidae to almost completely non-sclerotised taxa such as Barbutia and the Caligonellidae. Most raphignathoids lack tenent hairs on the leg claws (albeit possessing them on the associated empodia), but the claws are haired in the soil- and litter-dwelling Barbutia. Barbutia species are relatively elongate, soft-bodied mites known from seasonally arid regions of North America and Australia. Stigmata, if present, open at the bases of the chelicerae and are associated with simple to highly convoluted peritremes, but both stigmata and peritremes are absent in Homocaligidae, Mecognatha, Eupalopsellidae and Stigmaeidae. The Homocaligidae are hemispherical mites found in association with fresh water. Camerobiidae are oval to subcircular mites with very long legs, with the tibia of each leg about three times the length of the tarsus. The Dasythyreidae and Xenocalligonellididae are neotrichous with long setae radiating outwards in a pincushion-like array many times the diameter of the body (Walter et al. 2009).

Characters (from Walter et al. 2009): Soft-bodied or well-sclerotised, with a holonotal shield or a series of smaller weakly tanned, reticulate or dimpled dorsal sclerites, rarely without shields; idiosomatic neotrichy present in some families; trichobothria absent; prodorsum usually with 3-4 pairs of setae (si may be absent), rarely neotrichous; 0-2 pairs of ocelli, second pair (postocular organ) sometimes stalked. Cheliceral bases usually swollen, free, adnate, partially fused, or amalgamated into a stylophore, each with a styliform movable digit encased in the sheathlike remnant of the fixed digit; chelicerae not fused to underlying rostral elements, retractile in Cryptognathidae. Palpi with five free segments, palptibial claw (thumb-claw process) usually present but often weakly developed or obsolete, occasionally absent. Stigmatic openings present at base of chelicerae or absent; peritremes absent or simple to highly convoluted on cheliceral bases, or located on anterior margin of prodorsum and distally emergent (Raphignathidae). Empodial elements of tarsi commonly with tenent hairs, claws usually present on all legs (replaced by padlike structures in some Stigmaeidae), tenent hairs lacking on claws except in Barbutiidae. Males with an aedeagus, genital opening typically terminal, rarely dorsal; typically with solenidia on all tarsi. Generally with four active postembryonic instars: larva, protonymph, deutonymph and adult (tritonymph present in Xenocaligonellidae).

<==Raphignathoidea
    |--Raphignathidae SS55
    |    |--Neoraphignathus howei WL09
    |    |--Syncaligus Berl. 1910 G44
    |    |--Raphignathus WG98
    |    |--Acheles Oudemans 1903 SS55
    |    |    `--*A. mirabilis SS55
    |    `--Pimeliaphilus Trägårdh 1905 J61
    |         |--*P. podapolipophagus Trägårdh 1905 J61
    |         |--P. cunliffei Jack 1961 J61
    |         |--P. gloriosus NK94
    |         |--P. isometri Cunliffe 1949 J61
    |         |--P. rapax Beer 1960 B60
    |         `--P. triatomae WL09
    `--+--Caligonellidae WG98
       `--+--+--Dasythyreidae WL09
          |  |    |--Xanthodasythyreus Walter & Gerson 1998 WG98
          |  |    |    `--*X. toohey Walter & Gerson 1998 WG98
          |  |    `--Dasythyreus Atyeo 1961 WG98
          |  |         `--*D. hirsutus Atyeo 1961 WG98
          |  `--Xenocaligonellididae WL09
          |       |--Apocaligonellidus [incl. Echinopsis Fan & Chen 1996 non Agassiz 1840] WL09
          |       |    `--A. fukiensis (Fan & Chen 1996) [=*Echinopsis fukiensis] WL09
          |       `--Xenocaligonellidus DeLeon 1959 WG98
          |            |--*X. ovaerialis DeLeon 1959 WG98
          |            |--X. galapagus González 1978 WL09
          |            |--X. smileyi Hu & Liang 1995 WG98
          |            `--X. teclae Meyer & Ueckermann 1989 WL09
          `--Camerobiidae [Neophyllobiidae] FW06
               |--Neophyllobius FW06
               |--Tycherobius Bolland 1986 S96
               |    |--T. acicula Fan & Walter 2006 FW06
               |    |--T. australis Fan & Walter 2006 FW06
               |    |--T. elongata Fan & Walter 2006 FW06
               |    |--T. lombardinii WG98
               |    `--T. stipula Fan & Walter 2006 FW06
               `--Camerobia Southcott 1957 WG98, FW06
                    |--*C. australis Southcott 1957 FW06
                    |--C. fissus WL09
                    |--C. monspeliensis Bolland 1986 FW06
                    |--C. pistaciae Bolland 1986 FW06
                    |--C. rugulosa Fan & Chen 1997 FW06
                    |--C. southcotti Gerson 1972 FW06
                    `--C. turcicus Koç & Kara 2005 FW06

Raphignathoidea incertae sedis:
  Barbutia [Barbutiidae] WL09
    |--B. anguinea WL09
    |--B. australis WL09
    `--B. perretae WL09
  Homocaligidae T01
    |--Annerosella Habeeb 1966 S76
    |    `--A. pacifica Wood 1969 S76
    `--Homocaligus Berl. 1910 G44
         |--H. amphibius Wainstein 1975 T01
         |--H. crassipes WL09
         |--H. muscorum WL09
         `--H. scapularis (Koch 1838) T01 [=Caligonus scapularis G46]
  Mecognatha Wood 1967 H98 [Mecognathidae WL09]
    `--M. hirsuta Wood 1967 H98
  Cryptognathus H98
  Eupalopsellidae GFS97
  Stigmaeidae SS55
    |--Eryngiopus WL09
    |    |--E. arboreum Wood 1967 SL71
    |    |--E. bifidus Wood 1967 SL71
    |    |--E. coimbatorensis G01
    |    `--E. similis Wood 1967 SL71
    |--Eustigmaeus KU02
    |--Tacebia KU02
    |--Wooderia KU02
    |--Chaudhria KU02
    |--Mendanaia K90
    |--Summersiella ancydactyla WL09
    |--Mullederia arborea Wood 1964 SL71
    |--Pilonychiopus WL09
    |--Caligohomus durus WL09
    |--Stigmaeus KU02
    |--Prostigmaeus E-VVM-M07
    |--Liostigmaeus Thor 1930 G44
    |--Agistemus KU02
    |--Neilstigmaeus Gerson & Smith Meyer 1995 H98
    |    `--N. lamingtoni Gerson & Smith Meyer 1995 H98
    |--Podaia Oudemans 1923 G44
    |    `--*P. rubens (Schrank 1781) [=Acarus rubens] G44
    |--Parastigmaeus Kuznetzov 1984 KU02
    |    |--*P. capensis (Meyer 1969) [=Pseudostigmaeus capensis] KU02
    |    `--P. andreae Khanjani & Ueckermann 2002 KU02
    |--Mediolata Canestrini 1890 WL09, SB63
    |    |--*M. longirostris (Berlese 1887) [=Stigmaeus longirostris] SB63
    |    |--M. brevisetis Wood 1967 SL71
    |    |--M. favulosa Wood 1967 SL71
    |    |--M. mariaefrancae WL09
    |    |--M. pini (Canestrini 1890) [=Eupalopsis pini] SB63
    |    |--M. robusta Gonzalez 1965 SL71
    |    `--M. simplex Wood 1967 SL71
    |--Ledermuelleriopsis Willmann 1953 KU02
    |    |--*L. triscutata Willmann 1951 (n. d.) KU02
    |    |--L. incisa Wood 1967 SL71
    |    |--L. medicae Khanjani & Ueckermann 2002 KU02
    |    |--L. plumosa Willmann 1951 [=L. plumosus] KU02
    |    |--L. spinosa Wood 1967 SL71
    |    `--L. zahiri Khanjani & Ueckermann 2002 KU02
    |--Cheylostigmaeus Willmann 1952 KU02
    |    |--*C. grandiceps Willmann 1951 KU02
    |    |--C. iranensis Khanjani & Ueckermann 2002 KU02
    |    |--C. luxtoni Wood 1968 SL71
    |    |--C. pannonicus Z99
    |    |--C. scutatus K90
    |    `--C. torulus KU02
    |--Storchia Oudemans 1923 KU02 [incl. Apostigmaeus Grandjean 1944 G44]
    |    |--*S. robusta (Berlese 1885) KU02 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--S. anuae KU02
    |    |--S. coneata KU02
    |    |--S. pacifica (Summer 1964) KU02, C-RSV-S88 [=Apostigmaeus pacificus C-RSV-S88]
    |    |--S. shanghaiansis KU02
    |    `--‘Raphignathus’ striatus Trägårdh 1904 G44
    |--Zetzellia KU02
    `--Pseudostigmaeus SL71
         |--P. collyerae Wood 1967 SL71
         |--P. longisetis Wood 1970 SL71
         `--P. striatus Wood 1967 SL71

*Storchia robusta (Berlese 1885) KU02 [=Caligonus robustus KU02, Stigmaeus robusta KU02; incl. *Apostigmaeus navicella Grandjean 1944 G44, KU02, Storchia navicella NK94]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B60] Beer, R. E. 1960. A new species of Pimeliaphilus (Acarina: Pterygosomidae) parasitic on scorpions, with discussion of its postembryonic development. Journal of Parasitology 46 (4): 433–440.

[C-RSV-S88] Corpuz-Raros, L. A., G. C. Sabio & M. Velasco-Soriano. 1988. Mites associated with stored products, poultry houses and house dust in the Philippines. Philippine Entomologist 7 (3): 311–321.

[E-VVM-M07] Estrada-Venegas, E. G., I. M. Vázquez & J. A. Moreno-Moreno. 2007. Prostigmatid mites (Acarida: Prostigmata) in decaying wood from “La Mancha” Veracruz, Mexico. In: Morales-Malacara, J. B., V. M. Behan-Pelletier, E. Ueckermann, T. M. Pérez, E. G. Estrada-Venegas & M. Badii (eds) Acarology XI: Proceedings of the International Congress pp. 691–695. Instituto de Biología and Faculdad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sociedad Latinoamericana de Acarología: México.

[FW06] Fan, Q.-H., & D. E. Walter. 2006. Camerobia and Neophyllobius (Acari: Prostigmata: Camerobiidae) from Australia, with the descriptions of two new species. Zootaxa 1309: 1–23.

[GFS97] Gerson, U., W. E. Frost & S. F. Swift. 1997. A new genus of the family Eupalopsellidae from Australia (Acari: Prostigmata). International Journal of Acarology 23 (3): 185–189.

[G44] Grandjean, F. 1944. Observations sur les acariens de la famille des Stigmaeidae. Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, 5^me Période 26: 103–131.

[G46] Grandjean, F. 1946. Au sujet de l'organe de Claparède, des eupathidies multiples et des taenidies mandibulaires chez les acariens actinochitineux. Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, 5^me Période 28: 63–87.

[G01] Gupta, S. K. 2001. A conspectus of natural enemies of phytophagous mites and mites as potential biocontrol agents of agricultural pests in India. In: Halliday, R. B., D. E. Walter, H. C. Proctor, R. A. Norton & M. J. Colloff (eds) Acarology: Proceedings of the 10^th International Congress pp. 484–497. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.

[H98] Halliday, R. B. 1998. Mites of Australia: A checklist and bibliography. CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood.

[J61] Jack, K. M. 1961. A re-examination of the genera Pimeliaphilus Trägårdh 1905 and Hirstiella Berlese 1920 (Acari: Prostigmata). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 13, 4: 305–314.

[K90] Kethley, J. 1990. Acarina: Prostigmata (Actinedida). In: Dindal, D. L. (ed.) Soil Biology Guide pp. 667–756. John Wiley & Sones: New York.

[KU02] Khanjani, M., & E. A. Ueckermann. 2002. The stigmaeid mites of Iran (Acari: Stigmaeidae). International Journal of Acarology 28 (4): 317–339.

[NK94] Norton, R. A., & J. B. Kethley. 1994. Ecdysial cleavage lines of acariform mites (Arachnida, Acari). Zoologica Scripta 23 (3): 175–191.

[SB63] Schweizer, J., & C. Bader. 1963. Die Landmilben der Schweiz (Mittelland, Jura und Alpen): Trombidiformes Reuter, mit 217 Arten und Unterarten und 193 Originalzeichnungen. Denkschriften der Schweizerischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft [Mémoires de la Société Helvétique des Sciences Naturelles] 84 (2): i–vi, 209–378.

[S76] Shiba, M. 1976. Taxonomic investigation on free-living Prostigmata from the Malay Peninsula. Nature and Life in Southeast Asia 7: 83–229.

[SL71] Spain, A. V., & M. Luxton. 1971. Catalog and bibliography of the Acari of the New Zealand subregion. Pacific Insects Monograph 25: 179–226.

[SS55] Summers, F. M., & E. I. Schlinger. 1955. Mites of the family Caligonellidae (Acarina). Hilgardia 23 (12): 539–561.

[S96] Swift, S. F. 1996. Biodiversity of raphignathoid mites in the Hawaiian islands (Acariformes: Prostigmata). In: Mitchell, R., D. J. Horn, G. R. Needham & W. C. Welbourn (eds) Acarology IX vol. 1. Proceedings pp. 339–341. Ohio Biological Survey: Columbus (Ohio).

[T01] Tolstikov, A. V. 2001. Reproductive behaviour of the semi-aquatic mite Homocaligus cf. amphibius Wainstein, 1975 (Acari: Homocaligidae). In: Halliday, R. B., D. E. Walter, H. C. Proctor, R. A. Norton & M. J. Colloff (eds) Acarology: Proceedings of the 10^th International Congress pp. 180–182. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.

[WG98] Walter, D. E., & U. Gerson. 1998. Dasythyreidae, new family, and Xanthodasythyreus n. g. (Acari: Prostigmata: Raphignathoidea) from Australia. International Journal of Acarology 24: 189–197.

[WL09] Walter, D. E., E. E. Lindquist, I. M. Smith, D. R. Cook & G. W. Krantz. 2009. Order Trombidiformes. In: Krantz, G. W., & D. E. Walter (eds) A Manual of Acarology 3^rd ed. pp. 233–420. Texas Tech University Press.

[Z99] Zinkler, D. 1999. Ecophysiological adaptations of soil mites to oxygen deficiency. In: Needham, G. R., R. Mitchell, D. J. Horn & W. C. Welbourn (eds) Acarology IX vol. 2. Symposia pp. 47–51. Ohio Biological Survey: Columbus (Ohio).

Last updated: 25 June 2022.