Family DIGAMASELLIDAE Evans, 1957

Museums

Regional Maps

• Digamasellidae Evans, G.O. 1957. An introduction to the British Mesostigmata (Acarina) with keys to families and genera. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 43: 203-259.

Introduction

The classification of genera in the family Digamasellidae has been very unstable, and many names are available for genera and subgenera. Hirschmann & Wisniewski (1982a, 1982b) recognised over 250 species in a complex system of genera and subgenera, and Karg (1993) recognised over 70 species in Central Europe alone. Digamasellids are found in soil and litter and all kinds of decaying matter, including dung, compost, seaweed, rotting wood, under bark, and in fungi (Lindquist et al. 2009). Most are believed to be predators, feeding on Collembola, nematodes, and arthropod eggs, but some may also feed on fungi. The deutonymphs of many species are phoretic on insects, including flies, dung beetles, and bark beetles. Knowledge of the Australian fauna is extremely limited. Only three species are known in two genera, and there is a record of an unidentified species in a third genus. Proctor et al. (2011) and Yousuf et al. (2014) also reported an unidentified species. The fauna is likely to be much richer than this meagre information would suggest.

General References

Hirschmann, W. & Wisniewski, J. 1982a. Weltweite revision der Gattungen Dendrolaelaps Halbert 1915 und Longoseius Chant 1961 (Parasitiformes). Band I. Beschreibung der Untergattungen und Arten, Bestimmungstabellen, Chätotaxie, Porotaxie. Acarologie. Schriftenreihe für Vergleichende Milbenkunde 29(1): 1-190

Hirschmann, W. & Wisniewski, J. 1982b. Weltweite revision der Gattungen Dendrolaelaps Halbert 1915 und Longoseius Chant 1961 (Parasitiformes). Band II. Artenverzeichnisse, Krankheiten, Missbildungen, Inseminationsapparate, Abbildungen. Acarologie. Schriftenreihe für Vergleichende Milbenkunde 29(2): 1-48 pls I-XIV, 1-94

Karg, W. 1993. Acari (Acarina), Milben. Parasitiformes (Anactinochaeta). Cohors Gamasina Leach, Raubmilben. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands und der angrenzenden Meeresteile 59: 1–523

Lindquist, E.E., Krantz, G.W. & Walter, D.E. 2009. Order Mesostigmata. pp.124-232 in Krantz, G.W. & Walter, D.E. (eds). A Manual of Acarology. Lubbock, Texas : Texas Tech University Press Third edition, 807 pp.

Proctor, H., Kanowski, J., Catterall, C.P., Wardell-Johnson, G. & Reis, T. 2011. Rainforest-restoration success as judged by assemblages of soil- and litter-dwelling mites (Arachnida: Acari). Zoosymposia 6: 234–254

Yousuf, F., Gurr, G., Carnegie, A.J., Bedding, R.A., Bashford, R. & Gitau, C. 2014. Biology of the bark beetle Ips grandicollis Eichoff (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) and its arthropod, nematode and microbial associates: a review of management opportunities from Australia. Austral Entomology 53: 298-316.

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