Taxonomic Position

Cohort Microgyniina,

    Superfamily Microgynioidea

Family Nothogynidae Walter & Krantz

Nothogynus Walter & Krantz

 

Diagnostic characters:

• Light tan to brown, oval mites with thick cerotegument, a truncate podonotal shield, free mesonotal scutella and a nude pygidial shield. 

• Sternal shield divided, st1-2 and st3-4 on separate halves; genital shield with broad wings and a single pair of setae. 

• Intercalary sclerite of tarsus IV reduced to linear remnant; setae av4 and pv4 absent. 

• Trochanter I of adult with larval setal complement (4 setae); femora, genua and tibiae I with 10 setae; tibiae II-IV with 9 setae (2-1/1,2/1-2). 

• Hypostomal setae in triangular array; subcapitular gutter filled basally with dense denticles; palptibia-tarsus fused; palp apotele 2-tined. 

• Chelicerae serrate, movable digit with 3 excrescences. 

• Larval idiosoma holotrichous (29 pairs of setae + postanal seta), adults hypertrichous. 

• Males with sternal-genital shield bearing 4 pairs of setae; genital opening between coxae III; fifth pair of sternal setae on or near a separate plate between coxae IV.

 

Similar taxa.  Microgyniids and sejids have 1 or more seta-bearing mesonotal plates and setose pygidial shields, and the latter have setae av4/ pv4.  Polyaspidids have a nude genital shield.

 

Ecology & Distribution. Nothogynidae has two described species of Nothogynus from treeholes and logs rainforests in Australia, where they feed on nematodes and possibly other small invertebrates.

 

Known species.

Nothogynus klompeni Walter & Krantz

Nothogynus camini Walter & Krantz

Nothogynus sp. - Lord Howe Island

 

References

Walter, D.E. and Krantz, G.W.  1999.  New early derivative mesostigmatans from Australia: Nothogynus, n. g., Nothogynidae, n. fam. (Mesostigmata: Microgyniina).  International Journal of Acarology 25: 67-76.