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Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion
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Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Other Arthropods and General Topics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 13091

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ronald Ochoa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Interests: Acari systematic and evolution
Dr. Jose C Verle Rodrigues

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Excellence in Quarantine and Invasive Species, University of Puerto Rico (UPR), San Juan, PR 00926, USA
Interests: invasion ecology; mite-borne diseases; mite-plant interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mites, together with ticks, are the most diverse and largest group of arachnids. They have a global distribution and, thanks to their diminutive size and inconspicuous behavior, can efficiently colonize many habitats and are undetectably dispersed most of the time.

Mites’ taxonomy is a highly dynamic science with many new species being described under a diverse range of new tools for microscopy and biomolecular technology. Mites’ plasticity, adaptative behavior, and strategies of dispersion have allowed them to establish large populations in different habitats and play crucial ecological roles. Numerous mite species are plant feeders that can reach impressive numbers that treat plant crops, ornamentals, or natural forested areas. Several mite species have been studied as vectors of plant pathogens and associated with human and animal diseases worldwide. Beneficial mite species are providing essential environmental services and serving as biocontrol agents of pests on plants and soil ecosystems. This Special Issue is looking to bring together efforts and tools to improve the understanding of mite systematics, behavior, and dispersion strategies.

We are pleased to invite you to submit your manuscript for a Special Issue on “Mites: Taxonomy, Behavior, and Dispersion”. We are looking to receive contributions from prominent scientists developing premier research in acarology. We aim to create an opportunity to bring together excellent research work in acarology, increasing future research development and standards and catalyzing worldwide collaborations.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not be limited to) the following:

  • Mite taxonomy and systematic reviews;
  • Phylogeny of mite families;
  • Tools and strategies to the study of mites;
  • Mite behavior, adventive, and invasive species;
  • Mite chemical ecology;
  • Dispersion strategies and host colonization.

Dr. Ronald Ochoa
Dr. Jose C Verle Rodrigues
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Acari
  • systematics
  • phylogeny
  • mite behavior
  • dispersion strategies

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4000 KiB  
Article
Evidence for Reconsidering the Taxonomic Status of Closely Related Oligonychus Species in punicae Complex (Acari: Prostigmata: Tetranychidae)
by Hafiz Muhammad Saqib Mushtaq, Muhammad Kamran, Amgad A. Saleh and Fahad Jaber Alatawi
Insects 2023, 14(1), 3; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects14010003 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1575
Abstract
To elucidate the taxonomic problems in species delineation within the Oligonychus punicae complex (O. punicae, O. mangiferus, and O. vitis) (Acari: Prostigmata: Tetranychidae), we performed morphological and molecular investigations on mite samples, collected from different hosts/countries. Thirty-nine samples of punicae complex, [...] Read more.
To elucidate the taxonomic problems in species delineation within the Oligonychus punicae complex (O. punicae, O. mangiferus, and O. vitis) (Acari: Prostigmata: Tetranychidae), we performed morphological and molecular investigations on mite samples, collected from different hosts/countries. Thirty-nine samples of punicae complex, collected from Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia (SA), did not show any considerable morphological differences in females and males. All 39 samples of the punicae complex resembled the original description of O. punicae, while the claimed Mexican O. punicae was distinctively different based on male aedeagus. Molecularly, the low nucleotide diversity ranged from 0% to 2.1% (ITS2-rDNA) and 0% to 1% (COI-mtDNA), and was observed among various DNA sequences of the punicae complex from Egypt, India, Israel, Pakistan, and SA, confirming their identity as one species. The high genetic divergence ranged from 17.2% to 18.8% (ITS2) and 9.2% to 10.2% (COI), observed between the claimed Mexican O. punicae and all other sequences of the punicae complex, indicating that the Mexican sample do not belong to O. punicae. Basing our findings on both morphological and molecular data, we can conclude that O. mangiferus and O. vitis are synonymized with O. punicae. Additionally, this study reveals that the claimed Mexican O. punicae needs to be re-identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion)
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32 pages, 13296 KiB  
Article
Review on the Genus Stylophoronychus (Acari: Tetranychidae), with Description of a New Species
by Xiaojuan Pan, Ronald Ochoa, Daochao Jin and Tianci Yi
Insects 2022, 13(12), 1176; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13121176 - 19 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1348
Abstract
Only two species of the genus Stylophoronychus, S. baghensis (Prasad, 1975) and S. guangzhouensis (Ma and Yuan, 1980), have been recorded in China. Herein we describe a new species Stylophoronychus wangaePan, Jin & Yi sp. nov. based on characteristics of [...] Read more.
Only two species of the genus Stylophoronychus, S. baghensis (Prasad, 1975) and S. guangzhouensis (Ma and Yuan, 1980), have been recorded in China. Herein we describe a new species Stylophoronychus wangaePan, Jin & Yi sp. nov. based on characteristics of the deutonymphs and adults. The synonym of S. guangzhouensis (Ma and Yuan, 1980) and S. lalli (Prasad, 1975) with S. vannus (Rimando, 1968) is proposed. A redescription of S. vannus (Rimando, 1968) based on the adults of both sexes, deutonymphs and a protonymph is given. The ontogenetic changes of leg chaetotaxy in two species are given and discussed. The updated key to the species of Stylophoronychus of the world is provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion)
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27 pages, 9965 KiB  
Article
Four New Species of Larval Charletonia and Leptus (Acari: Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae), with a Checklist of the Two Genera and Their Hosts from China
by Si-Yuan Xu, Tian-Ci Yi, Jian-Jun Guo and Dao-Chao Jin
Insects 2022, 13(12), 1154; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13121154 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1279
Abstract
Four new species, Charletonia rectangia Xu and Jin sp. nov., Leptus (Leptus) bomiensis Xu and Jin sp. nov., Leptus (Leptus) longisolenidionus Xu and Jin sp. nov., and Leptus (Leptus) striatus Xu and Jin sp. [...] Read more.
Four new species, Charletonia rectangia Xu and Jin sp. nov., Leptus (Leptus) bomiensis Xu and Jin sp. nov., Leptus (Leptus) longisolenidionus Xu and Jin sp. nov., and Leptus (Leptus) striatus Xu and Jin sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on larvae. All four new species are from biodiversity hotspots, L. (L.) bomiensissp. nov. from the Eastern Himalayas biodiversity hotspot, while the other three species from the Indo–Burma biodiversity hotspot. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion)
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16 pages, 6120 KiB  
Article
Redescription of Bdella muscorum Ewing, 1909 (Bdellidae: Bdellinae) from China with Its First Description of Ontogeny
by Youfang Wu, Daochao Jin, Tianci Yi and Jianjun Guo
Insects 2022, 13(12), 1080; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13121080 - 23 Nov 2022
Viewed by 921
Abstract
Bdella muscorum Ewing, 1909 was redescribed and illustrated in detail, and its ontogeny was described and illustrated for the first time, including pro dorsal apodeme and chaetotaxy. Chaetotaxy changes in Bdella are mainly focused on ventral hypostomal setae (vh), setae on [...] Read more.
Bdella muscorum Ewing, 1909 was redescribed and illustrated in detail, and its ontogeny was described and illustrated for the first time, including pro dorsal apodeme and chaetotaxy. Chaetotaxy changes in Bdella are mainly focused on ventral hypostomal setae (vh), setae on palpal basifemur, aggenital setae (ag), genital setae (g), anal setae (ad) and leg setae. Furthermore, an original key to the Bdella species from China was also provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion)
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15 pages, 2538 KiB  
Article
Two New Species and a New Combination of the Subfamily Erythraeinae Based on Larval Stage (Acari: Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae) from China
by Si-Yuan Xu, Tian-Ci Yi, Jian-Jun Guo and Dao-Chao Jin
Insects 2022, 13(8), 706; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13080706 - 05 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1281
Abstract
The species Eatoniana yangshuonicus (Haitlinger) comb. nov. is transferred from the genus Erythraeus to Eatoniana based on the basifemoral setal formula 2-2-1. Two new species, Eatoniana nanlingensis Xu and Jin sp. nov. and Erythraeus (Erythraeus) kunyuensis Xu and Jin sp. nov. [...] Read more.
The species Eatoniana yangshuonicus (Haitlinger) comb. nov. is transferred from the genus Erythraeus to Eatoniana based on the basifemoral setal formula 2-2-1. Two new species, Eatoniana nanlingensis Xu and Jin sp. nov. and Erythraeus (Erythraeus) kunyuensis Xu and Jin sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on larvae. Eatoniana nanlingensis sp. nov. from the Oriental region (Guangdong Province), Er. (Er.) kunyuensis sp. nov. from the Palaearctic region (Shandong Province). An updated key to larval species of the genus Eatoniana of the world is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion)
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10 pages, 3834 KiB  
Article
Phylogenetic-Related Divergence in Perceiving Suitable Host Plants among Five Spider Mites Species (Acari: Tetranychidae)
by Qi-Qi Hu, Xin-Yue Yu, Xiao-Feng Xue, Xiao-Yue Hong, Jian-Ping Zhang and Jing-Tao Sun
Insects 2022, 13(8), 705; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13080705 - 05 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1331
Abstract
Spider mites belonging to the genus Tetranychus infest many important agricultural crops in both fields and greenhouses worldwide and are diversified in their host plant range. How spider mites perceive their suitable host plants remains not completely clear. Here, through two-host-choice designs (bean [...] Read more.
Spider mites belonging to the genus Tetranychus infest many important agricultural crops in both fields and greenhouses worldwide and are diversified in their host plant range. How spider mites perceive their suitable host plants remains not completely clear. Here, through two-host-choice designs (bean vs. tomato, and bean vs. eggplant), we tested the efficacies of the olfactory and gustatory systems of five spider mite species (T. urticae, T. truncatus, T. pueraricola, T. piercei, and T. evansi), which differ in host plant range in sensing their suitable host plant, by Y-tube olfactometer and two-choice disc experiments. We found that spider mites cannot locate their suitable host plants by volatile odours from a long distance, but they can use olfactory sensation in combination with gustatory sensation to select suitable host plants at a short distance. Highly polyphagous species displayed strong sensitivity in sensing suitable host plants rather than the lowered sensitivity we expected. Intriguingly, our principal component analyses (PCAs) showed that the similarity among five spider mite species in the performance of perceiving suitable host plants was highly correlated with their relative phylogenetic relationships, suggesting a close relationship between the chemosensing system and the speciation of spider mites. Our results highlight the necessity of further work on the chemosensing system in relation to host plant range and speciation of spider mites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion)
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10 pages, 5149 KiB  
Communication
Report of Tuckerella pavoniformis (Acari: Tuckerellidae) on Mamey, Mammea americana (Calophyllaceae), in Northwestern Peru
by Hector Alonso Escobar-Garcia, Jennifer J. Beard and Ronald Ochoa
Insects 2022, 13(5), 473; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13050473 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2097
Abstract
The family Tuckerellidae, or peacock mites, is a monogeneric group comprising approximately 32 species, which are usually collected from the fruits or woody parts of their host plants. Fruits and branchlets of mamey, Mammea americana L. (Calophyllaceae) trees in north-western Peru were sampled [...] Read more.
The family Tuckerellidae, or peacock mites, is a monogeneric group comprising approximately 32 species, which are usually collected from the fruits or woody parts of their host plants. Fruits and branchlets of mamey, Mammea americana L. (Calophyllaceae) trees in north-western Peru were sampled for peacock mites throughout spring and summer for two consecutive years. This is the first record of Tuckerella pavoniformis (Ewing) (Acari: Tuckerellidae) feeding on mamey. Aggregations of mites were much higher and more common on the fruit epicarps than on branchlets. Recommendations for the development of an Integrated Pest Management strategy for this peacock mite are included. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion)
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34 pages, 20316 KiB  
Article
New Genus and New Subgenera of Camerobiid Mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Camerobiidae) with a Key to World Species of the Genus
by Jawwad Hassan Mirza, Muhammad Kamran and Fahad Jaber Alatawi
Insects 2022, 13(4), 344; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13040344 - 31 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1946
Abstract
A new genus, Monobius Alatawi and Kamran, is hereby proposed for the two already described species, viz; M. electrus (Żmudziński) and M. meyerae (Bolland). In addition, the monospecific genus Tillandsobius Bolland is synonymized with the genus Tycherobius Bolland due to variations [...] Read more.
A new genus, Monobius Alatawi and Kamran, is hereby proposed for the two already described species, viz; M. electrus (Żmudziński) and M. meyerae (Bolland). In addition, the monospecific genus Tillandsobius Bolland is synonymized with the genus Tycherobius Bolland due to variations in the setae number of tibiae I–IV. Further, the genus Neophyllobius Berlese is categorized in two new subgeneric divisions as Neophyllobius Berlese and Monophyllobius Mirza. The number and position of the midventral setae on tarsi I–IV are considered as strong diagnostic generic and subgeneric diagnostic characters. The present study also includes the key to all known species of the genus Neophyllobius. The morphological characters of ten poorly described Neophyllobius species were studied in detail through published literature. The ambiguities in the ventral idiosoma setal notation are highlighted and discussed. It is concluded that two intercoxal setae 3a–4a are always present on small platelets, paired aggenital setae (ag) are present anteriorly and paired genital setae (g) present posteriorly on genital shield. In addition, five records of new species for Saudi Arabia are reported along with re–descriptions of three species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mite Nature: Taxonomy, Behavior and Dispersion)
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