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Terpnacarus
Terpnacarus Grandjean, 1939: 1-122
Type species: Terpnacarus bouvieri Grandjean, 1939 – France, Japan deciduous litter
Terpnacarus piliger (Berlese); Terpnacarus carolinaensis Theron, 1976 – acacia litter and soil, South Africa, tree hollow, Queensland; Terpnacarus subterraneus Weis-Fogh 1947 – Europe; Terpnacarus gibbosus (Womersley), 1944 – cosmopolitan, many litter types (=Terpnacarus glebulentus Theron, 1976; =Terpnacarus variolus Shiba, 1968).
DIAGNOSIS. Prodorsum with 1 pair of filiform trichobothria (bo) and 5 pairs of setae; naso well developed and bearing setae ro, and on its underside, the median eye; lateral eyes present or absent. Subcapitulum with 5-6 pairs of setae; rutella slender, with distal shear-like blade; chelicerae chelate-dentate, each with 2 setae. Adults with 28-35 pairs of setae on segments C-PA; 10-16 pairs of genital setae in 2 rows; 3 pairs of genital papillae; ovipositor, eugenital setae present. All pretarsi with a pair of simple claws and a claw-like empodium with a setulate (rayed) base. Gut boluses with fungal hyphae and spores. No males described.
REMARKS. Terpnacarus glebulentus Theron, T. variolus Shiba, and T. gibbosus (Womersley) are indistinguishable and may all represent the same species. Terpnacarus glebulentus has been reared on fungi and is known to be thelytokous (Theron 1976, 1979; Walter 1988).
References
Grandjean F. 1939. Quelques genres d’acariens appartenant au groupe des Endeostigmata. Ann. Sci. nat. Zool. 11(ser. 2):1-122.
Kethley JB. 1982. Endeostigmata. pp. 118-120, In: Parker SP (ed.) Synopsis and classification of living organisms. McGraw-Hill, NY.
Kethley JB. 1990. Acarina: Prostigmata (Actinedida). pp. 667-756, In: DL Dindal (ed), Soil Biology Guide. John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.
McDaniel B, Theron PD. 1979. A new distribution record and a morphological variant of Terpnacarus glebulentus Theron (Acari: Terpnacaridae). Entomological News 90(3): 143-144.
Theron PD. 1975. New species of the genus Terpnacarus Grandjean (Acari: Terpnacaridae) with notes on the biology of one species. J. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 39: 131-141.
Walter DE. 1988. Predation and mycophagy by endeostigmatid mites (Acariformes: Prostigmata). Experimental & Applied Acarology 4: 159-166.
Womersley H. 1944. Australian Acarina, families Alycidae and Nanorchestidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 68: 133-143.