Family LAELAPIDAE Canestrini, 1891
Introduction
The family Laelapidae and related families have always been taxonomically difficult, and a satisfactory stable classification has still not been achieved. Recent results from molecular systematics (Dowling & OConnor 2010a, 2010b) have shown that more re-arrangements of genera will be required before a reliable classification is developed. The instability has been caused by multiple evolutions of parasitic or commensal relationships with vertebrates and invertebrates, from a diverse group of soil-inhabiting predators. Lindquist et al. (2009) divided the family into nine subfamilies, partly based on the work of Casanueva (1993), but that classification is not used here, because some of the subfamilies are not clearly defined, and some genera cannot easily be placed in any subfamily. The genus Hypoaspis and related genera are predators that occur in soil and litter, and in the nests of vertebrates and invertebrates, and some species have been used as biological control agents for insect pests.
The great diversity and abundance of Laelapidae in Australia means that they are often collected in ecological research projects, but the difficulty of the classification means that they can not always be fully identified. The species associated with vertebrate hosts were catalogued by Domrow (1988), but the information about the free-living and arthropod-associated taxa is widely scattered. Unidentified species have been recorded from Australia a number of times as listed for each genus, and unidentified Laelapidae were also reported by Rayment (1954), Lowry (1980), Ridsdill-Smith & Hall (1984), Greenslade (1985), Harvey et al. (1993), Longstaff et al. (1999), Adolphson & Kinnear (2008), Callan et al. (2011), Proctor et al. (2011) and Majer et al. (2013). Large numbers of unidentified and undescribed taxa exist in collections, and the known Australian fauna will expand dramatically when these collections are examined closely.
Several species of Laelapidae have been incorrectly recorded from Australia, and are here listed as Species Excluded. Womersley (1937) recorded the otherwise European species Laelaps muris Ljungh, 1799 from two specimens from Adelaide. However, this is a labelling error and the specimens actually came from Europe (Domrow, 1958). Laelaps habrus Domrow, 1958 was described from Papua New Guinea. Tipton (1960) incorrectly stated that this species had come from Queensland, and it is not recorded from Australia in the catalogue of Domrow (1988). The species known as Hypoaspis miles or Stratiolaelaps miles has been reported from Australia a number of times, for example by Domrow (1974), Strong & Halliday (1994) and Halliday (2001). However Walter & Campbell (2003) showed that these Australian specimens actually belong to Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Womersley, 1956). Strandtmann (1949) and Womersley (1956) recorded Haemolaelaps megaventralis (Strandtmann) from Australia, but these specimens were transferred to Androlaelaps casalis (see Domrow, 1988, under Haemolaelaps casalis). Fouly et al. (1997) reported that Cosmolaelaps simplex Berlese, 1920 had been described from America, Chile, Argentina and Australia. However, Berlese's original words were 'America australi; Buenos Aries et Termuco, Chili'. I would translate these words as 'South America; Buenos Aries and Termuco, Chile', and consider that the record of this species from Australia is a mis-translation. Treat (1955) recorded Dichrocheles phalaenodectes from many countries, including Australia. Later Treat (1970,1975) pointed out that many of these specimens belonged to other species. The Australian specimens belong to Dicrocheles eothenes Treat, 1970. Womersley (1956) recorded Haemolaelaps glasgowi (Ewing) from Australia, but these specimens were transferred to Androlaelaps fahrenholzi (see Domrow 1988, under Haemolaelaps fahrenholzi). Hirstionyssus musculi (Johnston, 1849) sensu Domrow (1961) was a misidentification of Echinonyssus butantanensis (da Fonseca, 1932) (see Domrow 1988). Womersley (1956) recorded Hirstionyssus arcuatus (Koch) from Australia, but this was a misidentification of Echinonyssus butantanensis (da Fonseca) (see Domrow 1988). Domrow (1973 and elsewhere) recorded Eulaelaps stabularis (Koch) from Australia, but this was a misidentification of E. oudemansi (Turk) (see Domrow 1988). Moraza & Kazemi (2012) recorded the genus Scolopendracarus Evans, 1955 from Australia, but the genus is actually known only from a single species from New Guinea.
Excluded Taxa
- Misidentifications
Laelapidae: Androlaelaps glasgowi (Ewing, 1925) — Ewing, H.E. 1925. New parasitic mites of the genus Laelaps. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 27: 1–7
Laelapidae: Androlaelaps megaventralis Strandtmann, 1947 — Strandtmann, R.W. 1947. Atricholaelaps megaventralis, a new species of parasitic mite (Acarina, Laelaptidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 49: 112-114
Laelapidae: Cosmolaelaps simplex (Berlese, 1920) — Berlese, A. 1920. Centuria quinta di Acari nuovi. Redia. Giornale di entomologia, Firenze 14: 143-195
Laelapidae: Dicrocheles phalaenodectes Treat, 1955 — Treat, A.E. 1955. An ectoparasite (Acarina: Mesostigmata) from moths of the genus Zale. Journal of Parasitology 41: 555-561
Laelapidae: Eulaelaps stabularis (Koch, 1839) — Koch, C.L. 1839. Deutschlands Crustaceen, Myriapoden und Arachniden. Ein Beitrag zur Deutschen Fauna. Regensberg : Herrich-Schäffer Vol. 27.
Laelapidae: Hirstionyssus arcutaus (Koch, 1839) — Koch, C.L. 1839. Deutschlands Crustaceen, Myriapoden und Arachniden. Ein Beitrag zur Deutschen Fauna. Regensberg : Herrich-Schäffer Vol. 23.
Laelapidae: Hirstionyssus musculi Johnston, 1849 — Johnston, G. 1849. The acarides of Berwickshire specifically described. History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. Berwick-Upon-Tweed pp. 362–373.
Laelapidae: Laelaps habrus Domrow, 1958 — Domrow, R. 1958. New and little known Australasian Laelaptidae (Acarina). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 82: 352-366
LAELAPIDAE: Laelaps muris (Ljung, 1799) — Ljungh, S.I. 1799. Desciptio Muris amphibii Linn. Varietas D. niger Gmel. Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis 6: 5-10 (not seen)
Laelapidae: Scolopendracarus Evans, 1955 — Evans, G.O. 1955. A review of the laelaptid paraphages of the Myriapoda with descriptions of three new species (Acarina: Laelaptidae). Parasitology 45: 352–368
Laelapidae: Stratiolaelaps miles (Berlese, 1892) — Berlese, A. 1892. Acari, Myriopoda et Scorpiones hucusque in Italia reperta 63. 17 text pages + Plates 1-10. Reprint by Junk, The Hague, 1979.
General References
Adolphson, H. & Kinnear, A. 2008. Acari (mite) assemblages under plantations of bluegum, Eucalyptus globulus, in southwestern Australia. Pedobiologia 51: 427–437
Berlese, A. 1920. Centuria quinta di Acari nuovi. Redia. Giornale di entomologia, Firenze 14: 143-195
Callan, S.K., Majer, J.D., Edwards, K. & Moro, D. 2011. Documenting the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Entomology 50: 323–343
Casanueva, M.E. 1993. Phylogenetic studies of the free-living and arthropod associated Laelapidae (Acari: Mesostigmata). Gayana Zoologia, Concepcion 57: 21-46
Domrow, R. 1958. New and little known Australasian Laelaptidae (Acarina). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 82: 352-366
Domrow, R. 1973. New records and species of Laelaps and allied genera from Australasia (Acari : Dermanyssidae). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 98: 62-85 pl. II
Domrow, R. 1974. Miscellaneous mites from Australian vertebrates. 1-48. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 99: 15-35
Domrow, R. 1988. Acari Mesostigmata parasitic on Australian vertebrates: an annotated checklist, keys and bibliography. Invertebrate Taxonomy 1: 817-948
Dowling, A.P.G. & OConnor, B.M. 2010a. Phylogenetic relationships within the suborder Dermanyssina (Acari: Parasitiformes) and a test of dermanyssoid monophyly. International Journal of Acarology 36: 299-312
Dowling, A.P.G. & OConnor, B.M. 2010b. Phylogeny of Dermanyssoidea (Acari: Parasitiformes) suggests multiple origins of parasitism. Acarologia 50: 113-129
Fouly, A.H., Childers, C.C. & Abou-Setta, M.M. 1997. Redescription of Cosmolaelaps simplex Berlese (Acari: Laelapidae) with notes on its male. International Journal of Acarology 23: 33-37
Greenslade, P. 1985. Terrestrial invertebrates of the mound spring bores, creek beds and other habitats. pp. 64-77 in Greenslade, J., Joseph, L. & Reeves, A. (eds). South Australia's Mound Springs. Adelaide : Nature Conservation Society of South Australia.
Harvey, M.S., Gray, M.R., Hunt, G.S. & Lee, D.C. 1993. The cavernicolous Arachnida and Myriapoda of Cape Range, Western Australia. pp. 129-144 in Humphreys, W.F. The Biogeography of Cape Range Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 45(Supplement)
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.
Ljungh, S.I. 1799. Desciptio Muris amphibii Linn. Varietas D. niger Gmel. Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis 6: 5-10
Majer, J.D., Callan, S.K., Edwards, K., Gunawardene, N.R. & Taylor, C.K. 2013. Baseline survey of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 83: 13-112.
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
Rayment, T. 1954. Incidence of acarid mites on the biology of bees. The Australian Zoologist 12: 26-38
Ridsdill-Smith, T.J. & Hall, G.P. 1984. Beetles and mites attracted to fresh cattle dung in southwestern Australian pastures. CSIRO Division of Entomology Report 34: 1-29
Strandtmann, R.W. 1949. The blood-sucking mites of the genus Haemolaelaps (Acarina: Laelaptidae) in the United States. Journal of Parasitology 35: 325-352
Strong, K.L. & Halliday, R.B. 1994. Three new species of Hypoaspis Canestrini (Acarina: Laelapidae) associated with large Australian cockroaches. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 33: 87-96
Tipton, V.J. 1960. The genus Laelaps, with a review of the Laelaptinae and a new subfamily Alphalaelaptinae (Acarina : Laelaptidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 16: 233-356
Treat, A.E. 1970. The genus Dicrocheles: Three new species and a reappraisal. Acarologia 11: 630-656
Walter, D.E. & Campbell, N.J.H. 2003. Exotic vs endemic biocontrol agents: would the real Stratiolaelaps miles (Berlese) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae), please stand up? Biological Control 26: 253-269
Womersley, H. 1937. Studies in Australian Acarina Laelaptidae. I. New records and species of Laelaps and allied genera. Parasitology 29: 530-538
Womersley, H. 1956. On some new Acarina-Mesostigmata from Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 42: 505-599
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05-Dec-2019 | Acari | 20-Sep-2021 | MODIFIED | Dr Bruce Halliday |
| 01-May-2017 | Acari | 20-Sep-2021 | MODIFIED | Dr Bruce Halliday |
| 06-Jan-2016 | LAELAPIDAE Berlese, 1892 | 20-Sep-2021 | MODIFIED | |
| 07-May-2013 | 20-Sep-2021 | MODIFIED | ||
| 06-Nov-2011 | 06-Nov-2011 | MOVED | ||
| 08-Aug-2010 | 08-Aug-2010 | MOVED | ||
| 09-Jul-2010 | 09-Jul-2010 | ADDED | ||
| 08-Jul-2010 | MODIFIED |