Taxonomic Position

Cohort Uropodina

    Subcohort Uropodiae

Uropodoidea Kramer

Trachyuropodidae Berlese (including Oplitidae)

Cephalouropoda Berlese, Urotrachys Berlese [=Leonardiella Berlese], Urojanetia Berlese, Comydinychus Berlese, Phymatodiscus Berlese, Capitodiscus Vitzthum, Crinitodiscus Sellnick, Doralophorus Canestrini, Oplitis Berlese, Latotutulioplitis Hirschmann, Trachyuropoda Berlese, Wisniewskiioplitis Hirschmann  

Diagnostic characters:

• Uropodine mites with a bifurcate pilus dentilis

• Often with deep pits in the dorsum (e.g. Trachyuropoda)

• Or circular and half-dome shaped (e.g. Oplitis)

• Associated with ants

Similar taxa.  Uropodidae

Ecology.  Most trachyuropodids appear to be associated with ants.

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. and Bloszyk, J. 1988. Australian Uropodina (Acari : Anactinotrichida). I. Australocilliba gen. n. (Cillibidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 27: 1-8.

Athias-Binch, F. & Evans, GO.  1981.  Observations on the genus Protodinychus Evans, 1957 (Acari: Mesostigmata) with descriptions of the male and phoretic deuteronymph.  Proc. R. Ir. Acad. 81b: 25-36.

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]

Hirschmann, W.  1976.  Adulten-Gruppen und Bestimmungstabelle von 81 Trachyuropoda-Arten (Trachyuropodini, Oplitinae).  Gangsyst. Parasitiformes.  Schrift. für vergleich.Milbenk. 22: 4-15.

Hunter, J.E. III and M.H. Farrier  1975.  Mites of the genus Oplitis Berlese (Acarina: Uropodidae) associated with ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the southeastern United States.  Part I.  Acarologia 17: 595-623.

Hunter, J.E. III and M.H. Farrier  1976.  Mites of the genus Oplitis Berlese (Acarina: Uropodidae) associated with ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the southeastern United States. Part II.  Acarologia 18: 20-50.

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.

Karg W.  1989.  Acari (Acarina), Milben Unterordnung Parasitiformes (Anactinotrichaeta) Uropodina Kramer, Schildkrötenmilben.  Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 67: 1-203.

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

Wisniewski, J. and W. Hirschmann  1993.  Katalog der Ganggattungen, Untergattungen, Gruppen   und Arten die Uropodiden der Erde.  Gangsyst. Parasitiformes, Schriften. für vergleich.  Milbenkunde Folge 40: 466pp.  Hirschmann Verlag, Nürnberg.

Womersley H. 1959. A new species of Urodiscella (Acarina, Uropodidae) from Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum 13: 349-353.

Zirngeibl-Nicol, I. and W. Hirschmann  1973.  Stadien von 13 neuen Oplitis-Arten, von Ungarischen Zoologen in Südamerika und Afrika gesammelt (Trachyuropodini,Oplitinae.  Gangsyst. Parasitiformes,  Schrift. für vergleich. Milbenk. 19: 135-140.