Histiostomatidae


Histiostomatidae is a family of astigmatid mites and branches basically in a phylogenetic tree of the Astigmata.

Description

These mites are characterized by a very small size and a close association to arthropodes, mainly insects. A morphologically specialized instar, the deutonymph, is adapted to attach e.g. insects for a phoretic transport from one habitat to another. The mites use different insect groups as phoretic carriers such as beetles, flies and Hymenoptera. In all species, the digitus mobilis of the chelicera is reduced to small rests, and the distal pedipalp article is connected to a more or less complex membranous structure. These mouthpart modifications form an organ to feed bacteria.
Habitats are colonized by the mites such as animal dung, compost, waterfilled treeholes or the fluids of Nepenthes and Sarracenia - pitcher plants.

Genera

The family contains the following genera:
Histiostomatidae-Mites: Mouthparts and Feeding von Stefan F. Wirth
Mites of the Histiostomatidae von Stefan F. Wirth