Veigaia

Taxonomic Position

Cohort Gamasina

Subcohort Dermanyssiae

Similar taxa. Parasitidae are superficially similar, but have ventrianal shields and lack characters such as the scale-like process above the palp apotele and moustache-like internal malae.

Diagnosis. Yellow to orange-brown dermanyssine mesostigmatans. Females with separate podonotal and opisthonotal shields or with deeply incised schizodorsal shield; opisthonotal region reduced, hypotrichous to slightly hypertrichous; males with holodorsal shield. Peritremes typical running past coxa I; peritrematal shield usually narrow, joining podonotal shield anteriorly, sometimes fused to ventral shield. Female with large sternal shield bearing 3 pairs of setae (st1-3) and 2 pairs of lyrifissures (stp1-2); metasternal shields strap-like to subtriangular and bearing st4, stp3; genital shield usually trapezoid and bearing 1 pair of setae, free from, partially fused to (at posterior corners), or completely fused to ventral shield; rarely absent (Gamasolaelaps); ventral shield well developed, free from or fused to peritrematal or genital shields; anal shield free and bearing 3 circumanal setae, rarely with 1 pair of ventral setae. Tarsus I slender, elongate, with claws; trochanter I with 6 setae; tibia I with 6 dorsal and 4 (rarely 3) ventral setae; genu IV with 5 dorsal and 2 ventral setae; trochanter and femur IV of female sometimes with ventral spurs. Chelicerae typically elongate, snapping, with teeth and blade-like regions, less commonly chelate-dentate; movable digit without excrescences. Palp genu with 6 setae, palp apotele 3-4 tined and with dorsal hyaline scale-like process; corniculi horn-like; internal malae highly divided, often bilobed and moustache-like. Tritosternum biflagellate, with columnar base. Tectum bifurcate, and often with an elongate, subdorsal median process; subcapitular gutter usually broad, with 10 rows of denticles. Female sperm induction pores typically near base of coxae IV; sperm ducts lead to unpaired, central spermathecal sack (laelapid type). Males with genital opening at base of tritosternum in sternogenital shield or holoventral plate; spermatodactyl simple and finger-like to extremely elongate; legs II with spurs on femora, genua, tibiae and tarsi.

1. Tarsi II-IV with 1-2 broad ambulacral pads.................................................................... 2

- Tarsi II-IV with 2 narrow, acuminate ambulacra....................... Cyrthydrolaelaps Berlese

2. Ambulacral pad entire.................................................................. Gamasolaelaps Berlese

- Ambulacra divided into 2 lobes........................................................... Veigaia Oudemans

Evans GO. 1959. The genera Cyrthydrolaelaps Berlese and Gamasolaelaps Berlese (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Acarologia 1:201-215.

Farrier MH. 1957. A revision of the Veigaiidae (Acarina). North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin 124: 1-103.

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]

Halliday RB. 1990. The occurrence of Veigaia uncata Farrier (Acarina : Mesostigmata : Veigaiidae) in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Australian Entomological Magazine 17: 115-116.

Hurlbutt HW. 1983. The systematics and geographic distribution of east African Veigaiidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Acarologia 24(2): 129-143.

Hurlbutt HW. 1984. A study of North American Veigaia (Acarina: Mesostigmata) with comparisons of habitats of unisexual and bisexual forms. Acarologia 25: 207-222.

Ishikawa K. 1978. The Japanese mites of the family Veigaiidae (Acari, Mesostigmata). 1. Description of two new species. Annotationes Zoologicae Japonenses 51(2): 100-106.

Till, WM: 1988. Additions to the British and Irish mites of the genus Veigaia (Acari: Veigaiidae) with a key to the species. Acarologia 29(1): 3-12

Tseng, Yi Hsiung. 1994. A taxonomic study of free living Gamasinae mite family Veigaiidae Oudemans (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Taiwan. Chinese Journal of Entomology 14(4): 501-528

Womersley, H. 1956. On some new Acarina-Mesostigmata from Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. Journal of the Linnean Society (Zoology) 42: 505-599.