Halolaelapidae

Drawings of Halolaelaps marinus by Anthonie C. Oudemans.

Belongs within: Gamasina.

The Halolaelapidae are a group of mesostigmatan mites found primarily in damp organic microhabitats, such as compost, manure or intertidal debris. The species Leitneria granulata has a granular cuticle, the sternal shield fused with the endopodal shields around the second coxa, and an enlarged peritrematic shield in the female extending behind the fourth coxa (Evans & Till 1979).

Characters (from Evans & Till 1979): Dorsum of idiosoma in deuteronymph and adult with two subequal shields; metasternal setae free on unsclerotised cuticle or on metasternal shields posterior to the sternal shield; leg II of male spurred; tibia and genu of leg I with two anterolateral setae; tibia I of deuteronymph and adult with three ventral setae; genu IV normally with 5 dorsal setae in deuteronymph and adult; palp apotele three-tined.

<==Halolaelapidae
    |--Halodarcia Karg 1969 FH93
    |    `--H. incideta KA90
    |--Saprosecans Karg 1964 FH93
    |    |--S. baloghi Karg 1964 FH93
    |    |--S. bialoviensis Gwiazdowicz 2001 G01
    |    `--S. lateroplumosa Joerger 1987 G01
    |--Leitneria Evans 1957 FH93
    |    `--*L. granulata (Halbert 1923) [=Gamasellus (Protolaelaps) granulatus] ET79
    |--Saintdidieria Oudemans 1939 ET79
    |    |--*S. sexclavata (Oudemans 1902) ET79 [=Parasitus sexclavatus ET79, Gamasellus sexclavatus R61]
    |    |--S. neoorbinella Ryke 1961 R61
    |    |--S. octoclavata (Vitzthum 1920) [=Gamasellus octoclavatus] R61
    |    `--S. orbinella (Schweizer 1949) [=Copriphis orbinellus] R61
    |--Saprolaelaps Leitner 1946 FH93
    |    |--*S. subtilis Leitner 1946 ET79
    |    `--S. punctulatus ET79
    |--Dinychella Berlese 1888 G01
    `--Halolaelaps Berlese & Trouessart 1889 FH93
         |  i. s.: H. celticus ET79
         |--H. (Halolaelaps) H66
         |    |--*H. (H.) marinus (Brady 1875) ET79 (see below for synonymy)
         |    |--H. (H.) gerlachi Hirschmann 1966 H66
         |    `--H. (H.) schusteri Hirschmann 1966 H66
         `--H. (Saprogamasellus Goetz in Willmann 1957) ET79
              |--H. (*S.) strenzkei Goetz in Willmann 1957 [=H. (Saprolaelaps) strenzkei] ET79
              `--H. (S.) nodosus ET79

*Halolaelaps (Halolaelaps) marinus (Brady 1875) ET79 [=Gamasus marinus ET79; incl. H. glabriusculus Berlese & Trouessart 1889 E57]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[E57] Evans, G. O. 1957. An introduction to the British Mesostigmata (Acarina) with keys to families and genera. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 43: 203–259.

[ET79] Evans, G. O., & W. M. Till. 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: 139–270.

[FH93] Farrier, M. H., & M. K. Hennessey. 1993. Soil-inhabiting and free-living Mesostigmata (Acari-Parasitiformes) from North America: an annotated checklist with bibliography and index. North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, North Carolina State University, Technical Bulletin 302: i–xvi, 1–408.

[G01] Gwiazdowicz, D. J. 2001. Saprosecans bialoviensis sp. n. (Acari, Halolaelapidae) from Poland. Biologia 56 (2): 149–153.

[H66] Hirschmann, W. 1966. Gangsystematik der Parasitiformes. Teil 15. Gänge von Litoralmilben und neue Litoralmilbenarten. Acarologie: Schriftenreihe für Vergleichende Milbenkunde 9: 25–44.

[KA90] Krantz, G. W., & B. D. Ainscough. 1990. Acarina: Mesostigmata (Gamasida). In: Dindal, D. L. (ed.) Soil Biology Guide pp. 583–665. John Wiley & Sones: New York.

[R61] Ryke, P. A. J. 1961. A review of the genus Saintdidieria Oudemans (Acarina: Rhodacaridae) with remarks on the genus Lobocephalus Kramer. Acarologia 3 (3): 250–255.

Last updated: 13 April 2021.