Family ATHYREACARIDAE Lindquist, Kaliszewski & Rack, 1990

Museums

Regional Maps

• Athyreacaridae Lindquist, E.E., Kaliszewski, M. & Rack, G. 1990. Athyreacaridae, a new family of mites (Acari: Heterostigmata) associated with scarab beetles of the genus Neoathyreus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Acarologia 31: 161–176.

Introduction

The family Athyreacaridae is known from Australia only on the basis of an undescribed genus. Specimens of this genus were photographed by Howden (1992) attached to a beetle of the family Geotrupidae. Lindquist (1996) discussed their phylogenetic significance, but the genus remains undescribed (Walter et al. 2009). These mites are probably fungivorous, and symbiotic with the scarabs. Apart from this Australian record, the family includes nine species in two genera, all associated with beetles. All the known specimens in the family are phoretic adult females.

General References

Howden, H.F. 1992. A revision of the Australian beetle genera Eucanthus Westwood, Bolbobaineus Howden & Cooper, Australobolbus Howden & Cooper and Gilletinus Boucomont (Scarabaeidae: Geotrupinae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 6(3): 605-717

Lindquist, E.E. 1996. Antiquity of some symbiotic associations of heterostigmatic mite clades with beetle clades: phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns. pp. 301–303 in Mitchell, R., Horn, D.J., Needham, G.R. & Welbourn, W.C. (eds). Acarology IX: Volume 1, Proceedings. Columbus : Ohio Biological Survey.

Walter, D.E., Lindquist, E.E., Smith, I.M., Cook, D.R. & Krantz, G.W. 2009. Order Trombidiformes. pp. 233-420 in Krantz, G.W. & Walter, D.E. (eds). A Manual of Acarology. Lubbock, Texas : Texas Tech University Press Third edition, 807 pp.

History of changes