Astigmatan Mites - Parvorder: Astigmata - The Northern Rivers Project

Astigmatan Mites - Parvorder: Astigmata

The Parvorder: Astigmata is currently a subdivision of the Infraorder: Desmonomata after having been ranked both as an order and as a suborder in times past. Unlike other Desmonomatans the Astigmatan mites are usually soft-bodied, having lost their sclerotised exoskeleton, and, as the name suggests, they lack stigmatal openings. And, just like other mites they have a number of life-stages that in some species includes a non-feeding 'phoretic deutonymph' stage. This stage, which does not resemble any of the other life-stages, usually does have a sclerotised exoskeleton to prevent moisture loss and it is termed 'phoretic' as the mite at this stage is most suited for dispersal by means of attaching itself to other organisms. To do this the deutonymph may have specially adapted mouthparts.

Bodily features do vary among the various life stages as well as from stage to stage. For instance, larvae commonly have six legs whereas the adult forms have eight. A few species have a second type of deutonymph that is especially modified to withstand long periods of environmental hardship. Once circumstances improve, this immobile deutonymph may morph into a mobile tritonymph or adult form.
Astigmatans are usually white to some shade of light to medium brown and range in size from 0.15 to 2.0 mm. Many are found on animals or in their nests, stored products such as grains etc. and on fungal sporocarps where they feed on spores. A few families are free-living in a range of habitats including rotting vegetation, algal mats in both freshwater and intertidal environments and, in treeholes.

A good number of Astigmatan species are associated with other animals, either as commensals or, in extreme cases, as lethal parasites. Vertebrates as well as invertebrates may be affected by mite infestations with various outcomes. Feather Mites and Fur Mites are common in poultry and mammals but their effect on their hosts is usually minor. Dust Mites live on the skin cells that we shed and are found in every home. They may give rise to allergies and even asthma but are otherwise fairly harmless. The Scabies Mite is responsible for a skin condition humans may suffer that is caused by the tiny mites burrowing underneath our skin and laying eggs there. This will cause an itchy, localised rash which often result in skin sores that are likely to become septic. In severe cases the infestation may lead to heart and/or kidney failure. There are some 100 other species of mammals affected by the Scabies Mite including dogs and wombats. This is currently of particular concern as, for wombats, the infestation is often lethal without human intervention. Consequently wombat populations have been decimated since an outbreak starting around 2010 and that is still running its course.

The news about parasitic mites is not all bad news though from a human perspective. Some Astigmatan mites are predators of other invertebrates which, of course, include insects. One small genus, Hemisarcoptes, in the Family: Hemisarcoptidae has species that prey on scale insects, and as such may be useful as a biological control agent. It is not impossible that there are other species that could be utilised to be useful in a similar fashion.

Zoosubsection: Acaridia
Superfamily: Acaridoidea
Family: Acaridae

Acarus sp.

Rhyzoglyphus echinopus

Rhyzoglyphus robini

Thyrophagus putrescentiae (possible occurrence)

Superfamily: Glycophagoidea
Family: Echimyopodidae

Blomia tropicalis (possible occurrence)

Family: Glycophagidae

Glycophagus sp.

Superfamily: Hemisarcoptoidea
Family: Hemisarcoptidae

Hemisarcoptus sp.

Family: Winterschmidtiidae

Genus ?

Superfamily: Histiostomatoidea
Family: Histiostomatidae

Histiostoma sp.

Zoosection: Psoroptidia
Superfamily: Analgoidea
Family: Analgidae

Meganinia cubitalis

Family: Avenzoariidae

Genus ? (possible occurrence)

Family: Pyrogliphidae

House Mite - Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

Family: Plateremaeidae

Genus ? (possible occurrence)

Family: Turbinoptidae

Mycteroptes basilewskyi (possible occurrence)

Oxleya podargi (possible occurrence)

Rhynoptes gallinae (possible occurrence)

Superfamily: Pterolichoidea
Family: Ascauracaridae

Gallilichus jonesi

Family: Pterolichidae

Apexolichus platycerci

Rhytidelasma punctata (possible occurrence)

Rhytidelasma striata (possible occurrence)

Titanolichus seemani

Subfamily: Pterolichinae

Lorilichus curvilobus (possible occurrence)

Lorilichus stenolobus (possible occurrence)

Superfamily: Sarcoptoidea
Family: Atopomelidae

Atellana papilio (possible occurrence)

Austrochirus queenslandicus (possible occurrence)

Cytostethum sp. (possible occurrence)

Koalachirus perkinsi

Petragalochirus sp. (possible occurrence)

Family: Gastronyssidae

Opsonyssus indicus (possible occurrence)

Family: Psoroptidae

Psoroptes sp.

Family: Sarcoptidae

Sarcoptes scabiei

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Taxonomy:

Phylum: Arthropoda   (Arthropods)
  > Subphylum: Chelicerata   (Chelicerates)
  > Class: Arachnida   (Arachnids)
> Subclass: Acari   (Mites and Ticks)
> Superorder: Acariformes
> Order: Sarcoptiformes
> Suborder: Oribatida  (Beetle Mites)
> Infraorder: Desmonomata
> Parvorder: Astigmata (Astigmatan Mites)
> Zoosubsection: Acaridia
> Superfamily: Acaridoidea
> Family: Acaridae (Stored Product Mites)
> Genus: Acarus
> Species: ?
> Genus: Rhyzoglyphus
> Species: R. echinopus
> Species: R. robini
> Genus: Thyrophagus
> Species: T. putrescentiae ^

> Superfamily: Glycophagoidea
> Family: Echimyopodidae
> Genus: Blomia
> Species: B. tropicalis ^

> Family: Glycyphagidae
> Genus: Glycyphagus
> Species: ?

> Superfamily: Hemisarcoptoidea
> Family: Hemisarcoptidae
> Genus: Hemisarcoptus
> Species: ?

> Family: Winterschmidtiidae
> Genus: ?

> Superfamily: Histiostomatoidea
> Family: Histiostomatidae
> Genus: Histiostoma
> Species: ?

> Zoosubsection: Psoroptidia
> Superfamily: Analgoidea
> Family: Analgidae
> Genus: Meganinia
> Species: M. cubitalis

> Family: Avenzoariidae ^
> Genus: ?

> Family: Pyroglyphidae   (House Mites and Allies)
> Genus: Dermatophagoides
> Species: D. pteronyssinus - House Mite

> Family: Plateremaeidae ^
> Genus: ?

> Family: Turbinoptidae
> Genus: Mycteroptes
> Species: M. basilewskyi ^
> Genus: Oxleya
> Species: O. podargi ^
> Genus: Rhinoptes
> Species: R. gallinae ^

> Superfamily: Pterolichoidea
> Family: Ascouracaridae
> Genus: Gallilichus
> Species: G. jonesi

> Family: Pterolichidae
> Genus: Apexolichus
> Species: A. platycerci
> Genus: Rhytidelasma ^
> Species: R. punctata
> Species: R. striata
> Genus: Titanolichus
> Species: T. seemani
> Subfamily; Pterolichinae
> Genus: Lorilichus ^
> Species: L. curvilobus
> Species: L. stenolobus

> Superfamily: Sarcoptoidea
> Family: Atopomelidae
> Genus: Atellana ^
> Species: A. papilio
> Genus: Austrochirus ^
> Species: A. queenslandicus
> Genus: Cytostethum ^
> Species: ?
> Genus: Koalachirus
> Species: K. perkinsi
> Genus: Petragalochirus ^
> Species: ?

> Family: Gastronyssidae ^
> Genus: Opsonyssus
> Species: O. indicus

> Family: Psoroptidae *  (Scab Mites)
> Genus: Psoroptes
> Species: ?

> Family: Sarcoptidae  (Itch Mites)
> Genus: Sarcoptes
> Species: S. scabiei

* = likely
^ = possibly

References and links:

> Hoy, M.A., (2008). ‘Soil Mites.’ In: Capinera, J.L. (Editor), (2008). Encyclopedia of Entomology, Vol. 1, (2nd Ed.) pp 3463 – 3466, Springer, ISBN 9781402062421.
> Krantz, G.W. and Walter, D.E. (eds.), (2009). ‘A manual of Acarology, 3rd Edition.’ Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech University Press.

  http://coo.fieldofscience.com/2008/09/mite-in-box.html
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astigmatina
  https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/152845-Astigmata
  https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/mites/qmites/html/Astigmatina.htm
  https://www.wombatprotection.org.au/mange-disease

Photographic Contributions:

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