Trigynaspida

Cercomegistina

Cercomegistoidea

Cercomegistidae Trägårdh

Diagnosis. Cercomegistine Mesostigmata with a holodorsal shield; broad, posteriorly truncate lateral-peritrematal shields; and a broad ventrianal shield free from the dorsal shield posteriorly. Sternal region poorly sclerotized, with a pair of nude presternal plates; st1, and usually st3-4, in soft cuticle; st2 on separate plates. Pregenital shield free from sternal elements and usually bearign a pair of pores (sternogynium); latigynial shields strap-like, each with 1-2 pairs of setae (st6 sometimes on endopodal IV); mesogynial shield well developed, nude, and truncate posteriorly, and free from latigynial and ventrianal shields. Males with presternal sclerites and sternitogenital shield fused to lateral-peritrematal shield by way of exopodals IV; genital opening between coxae III-IV.

Similar taxa. Pyrosejidae are similar, but are found only in the Neotropics and have well developed lateral shields.

Ecology. Species of Cercomegistus Berlese are found in rotting mushrooms on logs and occassionally from forest litter collected along logs in NSW, QLD.

Australian Collections.

Cercomegistus abires Domrow, 1976 – QLD

Cercomegistus n. spp. – NSW, QLD – NEW RECORDS

References

Domrow R. 1976. Cercomegistina in Australia. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 15: 201-205.

Evans GO. 1958. Some Mesostigmatid mites from a nest of social spiders in Uganda. Annals of the Magazine of Natural History 13: 580-590.

Hirshmann W & Wisniewski J. 1994. Die cheliceren der Cercomegistus- Arten und beschreibung einer neuen Cercomegistus- Art aus kuba (Acarina, Cercomegistidae). Acarologia 35: 209-215.

Kinn DN. 1967. A new species of Cercomegistus (Acari: Mesostigmata) from California. Acarologia 9: 488-496.

Kinn DN. 1970. A new genus and species of Cercomegistidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata) from North America. Acarologia 12: 244-252.

Kinn DN. 1971. The life cycle and behaviour of Cercoleipus coelonotus (Acarina: Mesotigmata) including a survey of phoretic mite associates of California Scolytidae. Univ. Calif. Publ. Entomol. 65: 66 pp.

Kinn, D. N. 1972. A new species of Holocercomegistus, including some observations on the chaetotaxy of the pedipalpal and ambulatory appendages of the Cercomegistidae (Acarina). Acarologia 13: 258-265.