Taxonomic Position

Cohort Uropodina

    Subcohort Uropodiae

    Superfamily Thinozerconoidea Trägårdh

Family Thinozerconidae Trägårdh

Thinozercon Halbert

Diagnostic characters:

• Uropodine mesostigmatans with peritrematal shields joined to vertex, but separate from large anterior shield, and separate pygidial shield

• <100 dorsal idiosomal setae

• Scabellum and pedofossae absent

• Peritremes recurved basally, extending to vertex

•  Sternal shield divided medially, bearing st1 and united with endopodal elements

• Mesogynal shield small

• Strap-like latigynal shields bearing st5. 

• Large ventrianal shield flanked by large, nude metapodal shields; 3 circumanal setae. 

• Coxae I cylindrical, widely separate. 

• Chelicerae elongate, apparently raptorial, sometimes snapping, appearing 4-segmented in Thinozercon

• Corniculi horn-like. 

Similar taxa.  Thinozerconoids are considered the most early derivative of living Uropodina and are distinguished from the other superfamilies primarily on their plesiomorphic chaetotaxy.

Ecology.  The Thinozerconoidea are a small, but intriguing group of mites associated with wet habitats and appear to have originated near the base of the Uropodina.  Thinozercon occur in decaying tidal debris. 

References

Ainscough, BD.  1981.  Uropodine studies. I. Suprageneric classification in the cohort Uropodina Kramer, 1882 (Acari: Mesostigmata).  International Journal of Acarology 7:47-56.

Athias-Binche F.  1982.  A redescription of Thinozercon michaeli Halbert, 1915 (Uropodina: Thinozerconoidea).  Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy Dublin 82B: 261-276.

Evans EO and Till WM.  1979.  Mesostigmatic mites of Britain and Ireland (Chelicerata: Acari-Parasitiformes).  An introduction to their external morphology and classification.  Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 35 (2): 145-270.

Gilyarov MS & Bregatova NG (eds).  1977.  Handbook for the Identification of Soil-inhabiting Mites, Mesostigmata.  Zoological Institute of the Academy of Sciences: Petrograd [In Russian]

Johnson, DE.  1961.  A review of the lower uropodid mites (former Thinozerconoidea, Protodinychoidea and Trachytoidea) with notes on the classification of the Uropodina (Acarina).  Acarologia 3: 522-545.

Krantz, GW & Ainscough, B.  1990.  Mesostigmata.  pp. 583-665, in DL Dindal (ed) Soil Biology Guide.  John Wiley & Sons: Brisbane.