Parvorder: Brachypylina
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The Parvorder: Brachypylina is by far the largest of the subdivisions within the Infraorder: Desmonomata with the Catalogue of Life listing about 8,500 species as of May 2024. Not only are they the largest subdivision, they are often the most commonly found oribatid mites in soils outnumbering all others by up to 12 to 1. They are also the most commonly found oribatids on treebark. Other than that, they may be found in any of the other micro-habitats that can be found in forests such as litter, soils, vegetation, fungi, lichens, etc.
They are small mid to dark brown, beetle-like mites, not often exceeding two mm in length although many are as small as 1/6th of a mm, requiring some kind of magnifying aids to see. The males tend to be smaller than the females. |
Many species of brachylynid mites have what are called 'well-developed trichobothria'. Located just behind the 'head' of the animal these are small pit-like structures from which a filament may protrude. The whole arrangement serves as a sensory organ capable of detecting a range of stimuli including air currents, vibrations in the air (sound), and, electrical current. Friedrich Dahl, a German zoologist (1856 - 1929), discovered that these organs responded to the sounds of a violin and consequently called them 'hearing hairs'.
On the ventral side of the body there is, of course, no segmentation visible but instead, there are two round, split discs showing. The one closest to the centre of the mite covers the opening from which the genitals can protrude. The larger, near the rear covers the anus. |
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The Brachypylina are a diverse group of mites with more than 125 families in 33 superfamilies living in a wide range of micro habitats and this diversity is reflected in their diet as well. Many are specialised feeders although as a group they will eat just about anything including, detritus, fungi or spores thereof, lichens, algae and many other small invertebrates such as tardigrades, rotifers and a host of other small organisms they may share their environment with. Regardless, none are damaging to any plants, or crops, and there are no parasites among them.
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Superfamily: Ameroidea
Family: Ameridae
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Hymenobelba sp.
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Superfamily: Carabodoidea
Family: Carabodidae
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Genus ?
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Family: Otocepheidae
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Genus ?
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Superfamily: Ceratozetoidea
Family: Ceratozetidae
Ceratozetes sp. (possible occurrence)
Superfamily: Cymbaeremaeoidea
Family: Cymbaeremaeidae
Scapheremaeus allmani
Family: Platyameridae
Platyameris peculiaris
Superfamily: Gustavioidea
Family: Liacaridae
Liacarus sp.
Superfamily: Hermannielloidea
Family: Plasmobatidae
Solenozetes gallonae
Superfamily: Neoliodoidea
Family: Neoliodidae
Neoliodes sp. (likely occurrence)
Superfamily: Oppioidea
Family: Oppiidae
Genus ?
Superfamily: Oribatelloidea
Family: Oribatellidae
Genus ?
Superfamily: Oripodoidea
Family: Neotrichozetidae
Neotrichozetes sp.
Family: Scheloribatidae
Genus ?
Superfamily: Plateremaeoidea
Family: Pheroliodidae
Lopholiodes sp.
Pheroliodes monteithi (possible occurrence)
Pheroliodes sicarius
Pheroliodes transversus
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: Brachypylina
> Superfamily: Ameroidea
> Family: Ameridae
> Genus: Hymenobelba
> Species: ?
> Superfamily: Carabodoidea
> Family: Carabodidae
> Genus: ?
> Family: Otocepheidae
> Genus: ?
> Superfamily: Ceratozetoidea
> Family: Ceratozetidae
> Genus: Ceratozetes ^
> Species: ?
> Superfamily: Cymbaeremaeoidea
> Family: Cymbaeremaeidae
> Genus: Scapheremaeus
> Species: S. allmani
> Family: Platyameridae
> Genus: Platyamerus
> Species: P. peculiaris
> Superfamily: Gustavioidea
> Family: Liacaridae
> Genus: Liacarus
> Species: ?
> Superfamily: Hermannielloidea
> Family: Plasmobatidae
> Genus: Solenozetes
> Species: S. gallonae
> Superfamily: Neoliodoidea
> Family: Neoliodidae
> Genus: Neoliodes
> Species: ?
> Superfamily: Oppioidea
> Family: Oppiidae
> Genus: ?
> Superfamily: Oribatelloidea
> Family: Oribatellidae
> Genus: ?
> Superfamily: Oripodoidea
> Family: Neotrichozetidae
> Genus: Neotrichozetes ^
> Species: ?
> Family: Scheloribatidae
> Genus: ?
> Superfamily: Plateremaeoidae
> Family: Pheroliodidae
> Genus: Lopholiodes
> Species: ?
> Genus: Pheroliodes
> Species: P. monteithi *
> Species: P. sicarius
> Species: P. transversus
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Mullen, G.R. & O’Connor, B.M., (2019). in, Mullen, G.R. & Durden, L.A., (Ed.s) (2019). 'Medical and Veterinary Entomolgy.' Chapter 26 – Mites (Acari) pp. 533 – 602. Academic Press, Cambridge (Mass.), U.S.A
> Wehner, K., Norton, R.A., Blüthgen, N. & Heethoff, M., (2016). in, Nielsen, U. ed.). ‘Specialization of oribatid mites to forest microhabitats—the enigmatic role of litter’. Ecosphere. 7 (3). doi:10.1002/ecs2.1336. ISSN 2150-8925.
https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/93MP6
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Dahl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichobothria
https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/mites/Invasive_Mite_Identification/key/Major_Mite_taxa/Media/Html/Brachypylina.htm
> Mullen, G.R. & O’Connor, B.M., (2019). in, Mullen, G.R. & Durden, L.A., (Ed.s) (2019). 'Medical and Veterinary Entomolgy.' Chapter 26 – Mites (Acari) pp. 533 – 602. Academic Press, Cambridge (Mass.), U.S.A
> Wehner, K., Norton, R.A., Blüthgen, N. & Heethoff, M., (2016). in, Nielsen, U. ed.). ‘Specialization of oribatid mites to forest microhabitats—the enigmatic role of litter’. Ecosphere. 7 (3). doi:10.1002/ecs2.1336. ISSN 2150-8925.
https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/93MP6
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Dahl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichobothria
https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/mites/Invasive_Mite_Identification/key/Major_Mite_taxa/Media/Html/Brachypylina.htm
Photographic Contributions: