Family MECOGNATHIDAE Gerson & Walter, 1998

Museums

Regional Maps

• Mecognathidae Gerson, U. & Walter, D.E. 1998. Transfer of Mecognatha Wood from Stigmaeidae to Mecognathidae, fam. nov., a new synonymy, and a key to families of Raphignathoidea (Acari: Prostigmata). Systematic and Applied Acarology 3: 145-147.

Introduction

The family Mecognathidae was established by Gerson & Walter (1998) to accommodate some genera that were previously placed in the Eupalopsellidae and Stigmaeidae. The family includes two genera and five species, reported from North America, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand (Walter et al. 2009). They occur on plants and tree bark, and appear to be predatory. The Australian fauna includes two described species of Mecognatha, one of which is also found in New Zealand, and a third unidentified species from Queensland.

General References

Gerson, U. & Walter, D.E. 1998. Transfer of Mecognatha Wood from Stigmaeidae to Mecognathidae, fam. nov., a new synonymy, and a key to families of Raphignathoidea (Acari: Prostigmata). Systematic and Applied Acarology 3: 145-147

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