Acari (Acarina)

Common names: mites, ticks

Probability of encounter: high

Quarantine importance: numerous important pests of crops, livestock, wildlife, native flora, and humans.

Taxa most similar to mites: Ricinuleids have a cucullus and opisthosomal segmentation.  Opilionids have opisthosomal segmentation.

 

Morphology

Normal adult length: <1 mm, range 0.080 - 20 mm
Body tagmata: capitulum (= gnathosoma), idiosoma
Eyes: +/- 1-2 median ocelli; +/- 1-2 pairs lateral ocelli
Antennae: absent
Mouthparts: 2-3 segmented chelicerae; pedipalps (palps) with 1-5 free segments; pedipalpal coxae fused into subcapitulum
Legs: 1-4 pairs, typically 3 pairs in larvae, 4 pairs in nymphs and adults (rarely 2 pairs, 1 pair)
Distinguishing features: capitulum, loss of visible body segmentation
 

Diversity: 2-3 superorders, 5-6 orders, 450-500 families: 55,000 described species, >1,000,000 spp.

TENTATIVE CLASSIFICATION OF THE HIGHER CATEGORIES OF THE SUBCLASS ACARI

Krantz, GW and Walter, DE (Eds.).  (In preparation).  A Manual of Acarology 3rd Edition

 

I. SUPERORDER PARASITIFORMES

            A. Order Opilioacarida

                                                                        1. Superfamily Opilioacaroidea

            B. Order Holothyrida

                                                                        1. Superfamily Holothyroidea

            C. Order Ixodida

                                                                        1. Superfamily Ixodoidea

            D. Order Mesostigmata

                                    1. Suborder Sejida

                                                                        1. Superfamily Sejoidea

 

                                    2. Suborder Trigynaspida

                                                a.. Cohort Cercomegistina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Cercomegistoidea

                                                b. Cohort Antennophorina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Antennophoroidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Celaenopsoidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Fedrizzioidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Megisthanoidea

                                                                        5. Superfamily Parantennuloidea

                                                                        6. Superfamily Aenictequoidea

                                    3. Suborder Monogynaspida

                                                a. Cohort Microgyniina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Microgynioidea

                                                b. Cohort Heatherellina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Heatherelloidea

                                                c. Cohort Uropodina

                                                            (1) Subcohort Uropodiae

                                                                        1. Superfamily Thinozerconoidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Polyaspidoidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Uropodoidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Trachyuropodoidea

                                                            (2) Subcohort Diarthrophalliae

                                                                        1. Superfamily Diarthrophalloidea

                                                d. Cohort Heterozerconina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Heterozerconoidea

                                                e. Cohort Gamasina

                                                            (1) Subcohort Epicriiae (Epicriina)

                                                                        1. Superfamily Epicrioidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Zerconoidea

                                                            (2) Subcohort Arctacariae (Arctacarina)

                                                                        1. Superfamily Arctacaroidea

                                                            (3) Subcohort Parasitiae (Parasitina, Neotocospermata)

                                                                        1. Superfamily Parasitoidea

(4) Subcohort Dermanyssiae (Dermanyssina, Neopodospermata)

                                                                        1. Superfamily Veigaioidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Rhodacaroidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Eviphidoidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Ascoidea

                                                                        5. Superfamily Phytoseioidea

                                                                        6. Superfamily Dermanyssoidea

 

II. SUPERORDER ACARIFORMES

            A. Order Trombidiformes

                        1. Suborder Sphaerolichida

                                                                        1. Superfamily Lordalychoidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Sphaerolichoidea

                        2. Suborder Prostigmata

                                    a. Supercohort Labidostommatides

                                                                        1. Superfamily Labidostommatoidea

                                    b. Supercohort Eupodides

                                                                        1. Superfamily Bdelloidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Halacaroidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Eupodoidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Tydeoidea

                                                                        5. Superfamily Eriophyoidea

                                    c. Supercohort Anystides

                                                1. Cohort Anystina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Caeculoidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Anystoidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Paratydeoidea

                                                2. Cohort Parasitengonina

                                                            a. Subcohort Trombidiae

                                                                        1. Superfamily Calyptostomatoidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Erythraeoidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Trombidioidea

                                                            b. Subcohort Hydrachnidiae

                                                                        1. Superfamily Hydryphantoidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Eylaoidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Hydrovolzioidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Hydrachnoidea

                                                                        5. Superfamily Lebertioidea

                                                                        6. Superfamily Hygrobatoidea

                                                                        7. Superfamily Arrenuroidea

                                    d. Supercohort Eleutherengonides

                                                1. Cohort Raphignathina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Raphignathoidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Tetranychoidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Cheyletoidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Pomerantzioidea

                                                                        5. Superfamily Pterygosomatoidea

                                                2. Cohort Heterostigmatina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Tarsocheyloidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Heterocheyloidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Dolichocyboidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Trochometridioidea

                                                                        5. Superfamily Scutacaroidea

                                                                        6. Superfamily Pygmephoroidea

                                                                        7. Superfamily Pyemotoidea

                                                                        8. Superfamily Tarsonemoidea

            B. Order Sarcoptiformes

                        1. Suborder Endeostigmata

                                                a. Cohort Bimichaeliina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Bimichaeloidea

                                                b. Cohort Nematalycina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Nematalycoidea

                                                c. Cohort Terpnacarina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Oehserchestoidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Terpnacaroidea

                                                d. Cohort Alicorhagiina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Alicrhagioidea

                        2. Suborder Oribatida

                                    A. Supercohort Palaeosomatides (Palaeosomata)

                                                                        1. Superfamily Archeonothroidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Palaeacaroidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Ctenacaroidea

                                    B. Supercohort Enarthronotides (Enarthronota)

                                                                        1. Superfamily Hypochthonioidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Prothoplophoroidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Brachychthonoidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Atopochthonioidea

                                    C. Supercohort Parhyposomatides (Parhyposomata)

                                                                        1. Superfamily Parhypochthonioidea

                                    D. Supercohort Mixonomatides (Mixonomata)

                                                                        1. Superfamily Phthiracaroidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Euphthiracaroidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Lohmannioidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Eulohmannioidea

                                    E. Supercohort Desmonomatides (Desmonomata)

                                                 A. Cohort Nothrina                            

                                                                        1. Superfamily Crotonioidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Malaconothroidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Nanhermannioidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Hermannioidea

                                                B. Cohort Brachypylina

                                                                        1. Superfamily Hermannielloidea

                                                                        2. Superfamily Neoliodoidea

                                                                        3. Superfamily Plateremaeoidea

                                                                        4. Superfamily Damaeoidea

                                                                        5. Superfamily Cepheoidea

                                                                        6. Superfamily Polypterozetoidea

                                                                        7. Superfamily Microzetoidea

                                                                        8. Superfamily Ameroidea

                                                                        9. Superfamily Eremaeoidea

                                                                       10. Superfamily Gustavioidea

                                                                       11. Superfamily Carabodoidea

                                                                       12. Superfamily Oppioidea

                                                                       13. Superfamily Tectocepheoidea

                                                                       14. Superfamily Hydrozetoidea

                                                                       15. Superfamily Ameronothroidea

                                                                       16. Superfamily Cymbaeremaeoidea

                                                                       17. Superfamily Eremaeozetoidea

                                                                       18. Superfamily Licneremaeoidea

                                                                       19. Superfamily Phenopelopoidea

                                                                       20. Superfamily Achipterioidea

                                                                       21. Superfamily Oribatelloidea

                                                                       22. Superfamily Oripodoidea

                                                                       23. Superfamily Ceratozetoidea

                                                                       24. Superfamily Galumnoidea

                                                C. Cohort Astigmatina (Astigmata)

 

References
 

Tree of Life - http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Acari&contgroup=Arachnida

 

Krantz, G.W. 1978. A Manual of Acarology. Oregon State University Bookstores: Corvallis.

 

Krantz, G.W. and Walter, D.E. (in prep.) A Manual of Acarology 3rd Edition.  Texas Tech University Press

 

Walter, D.E. and Proctor, H.C.  1999.  Mites: Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour. University of NSW Press, Sydney and CABI, Wallingford.