MM299999

Ameronothrids are a family of mites from the Suborder Oribatida in the Order Acariformes. Most are terrestrial, but four species have been found in temporary rock pools in North America, Africa and Australia. When the rock pools evaporate, the mites remain in the arid silt for days or weeks, until the next rains arrive (Norton et al. 1996). Norton et al. (1996) found that the North American species ate rotifers, a most peculiar diet for these normally detritivorous and fungivorous oribatids.

There are two species from Australia, but only one has been described. Chudalupia meridionalisis is known from Mt. Chudalup in Western Australia, and an undescribed species has been collected from Flinders Island (Bayly 1998).

Care must be taken when identifying oribatids from aquatic samples as terrestrial oribatids often fall into the water where they may be mistaken for aquatic species. One clue that you may have a terrestrial oribatid is that no aquatic species is known to have pteromorphs, the wing-like flaps above the leg bases of many terrestrial species.

References:

Bayly, I. 1998. Beetle-mites that take to water. Invertebrata 12: 4.

Colloff, M.J. and R.B. Halliday. 1998. Oribatid Mites: a Catalogue of Australian Genera and Species. Monographs on Invertebrate Taxonomy 6. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.

Krantz, G.W. 1978. A Manual of Acarology. 2nd edition. Oregon State University Book Stores, Corvallis, Oregon.

Norton, R.A., T.B. Graham and G. Alberti. 1996. A rotifer-eating ameronothroid (Acari: Ameronothridae) mite from ephemeral pools on the Colorado plateau. pp. 539-542 in R. Mitchell, D.J.Horn, G.R. Needham and W.C. Welbourn (eds.) Acarology IX. Proceedings of the IXth International Congress of Acarology, Columbus, Ohio, 17-22 July. Ohio Biological Survey, Columbus.

Walter, D.E. and H.C. Proctor. 1999. Mites: Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, New South Wales.