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Velvet Mites, Water Mites, Chiggers and Allies Suborder: Parasitengona
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The Suborder: Parasitengona is a controversial sub-division as there are still many sources that treat the Parasitengona as belonging to the Suborder: Prostigmata. Its treatment here is in keeping with the current opinion held on the web-site iNaturalist where it was installed as suborder in January, 2022. The suborder itself is divided into two infraorders and a handful of unplaced families. Mites in this suborder are common worldwide and both infraorders as well as one of the unplaced families are represented in the Northern Rivers.
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As a group the Parasitengona are a large and diverse lot, and are typically divided into two groups that live either in terrestrial or aquatic environments. The life-cycle of the Parasitengona consists of six stages, three of which, including the larva and the adult, are active stages. The fourth life stage in the cycle, the deutonymph, is commonly the main growth stage. In most species there are two distinct sexes with the males transferring 'sperm packets' to the female during mating for fertilsation of her eggs.
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The larvae of many species in the Suborder: Parasitengona are ectoparasites ( = attached to the outside of their host animal) of other arthropods. A small minority of species are either free-living or are parasitic on vertebrates and as of 2010, there are 21 species from 6 families that live in close contact with ants (= myrmecophilic).
Classification of the individual species within Parasitengona has proven to be troublesome in the past in that the various active life stages of one and the same species were often mistaken to be different individual species. To this day the taxonomic records still contain numerous mites that have been described and named twice. |
Unplaced Families:
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Infraorders:
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References and links:
> Mąkol, J., Łaydanowicz, J., Kłosińska, A., (2010). ‘Myrmecophilous Parasitengona (Acari: Prostigmata) — Accident or Adaptation?’ Annales Zoologici, 60(3), 429-437, (1 Sept 2010)
> Stålstedt, J., (2017). ‘Phylogeny, taxonomy and species delimitation of water mites and velvet mites.’ (PDF). Dept. of Zoology, Stockholm University. ISBN 978-91-7649-688-6.
> Wohltmann, A., Gabryś, G., Mąkol, J., (2006). ‘Acari: Terrestrial Parasitengona inhabiting transient biotopes.’ In: Gerecke, R. (ed.) Süßwasserfauna von Mitteleuropa, Vol. 7/2-1 Chelicerata: Araneae/Acari I. Süßwasserfauna von Mitteleuropa. Springer Spektrum, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55958-1_6
https://bugguide.net/node/view/729496
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecophily
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitism
> Mąkol, J., Łaydanowicz, J., Kłosińska, A., (2010). ‘Myrmecophilous Parasitengona (Acari: Prostigmata) — Accident or Adaptation?’ Annales Zoologici, 60(3), 429-437, (1 Sept 2010)
> Stålstedt, J., (2017). ‘Phylogeny, taxonomy and species delimitation of water mites and velvet mites.’ (PDF). Dept. of Zoology, Stockholm University. ISBN 978-91-7649-688-6.
> Wohltmann, A., Gabryś, G., Mąkol, J., (2006). ‘Acari: Terrestrial Parasitengona inhabiting transient biotopes.’ In: Gerecke, R. (ed.) Süßwasserfauna von Mitteleuropa, Vol. 7/2-1 Chelicerata: Araneae/Acari I. Süßwasserfauna von Mitteleuropa. Springer Spektrum, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55958-1_6
https://bugguide.net/node/view/729496
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecophily
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitism
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