Family MEGISTHANIDAE Berlese, 1914

Museums

Regional Maps

• Megistanidae Berlese, A. 1914. Acari nuovi. Manipulus IX. Redia. Giornale di entomologia, Firenze 10: 113-150 pls X-XIII [original spelling].

Introduction

The family Megisthanidae includes a single genus and about 30 species, described from North America, South America, Australasia and Africa (Lindquist et al. 2009). The known species were listed by Kethley (1977). They are very large heavily sclerotised mites whose adults are usually found phoretically attached to beetles in the family Passalidae. The immature stages of the mites occur in rotting wood infested by passalids, where they feed on nematodes and other small invertebrates (Butler & Hunter, 1968). Seeman (2019) revised the Australian species. The record of Megisthanus testudo from Australia is very tenuous, based on material possibly of Australian origin recorded by Canestrini (1884).

General References

Butler, L. & Hunter, P.E. 1968. Redescription of Megisthanus floridanus with observations on its biology (Acarina: Megisthanidae). Florida Entomologist 51: 187–197

Canestrini, G. 1884. Acari nuovi o poco noti. Atti del Reale Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti 6 2: 693-724 pls VI-IX

Kethley, J.B. 1977. A review of the higher categories of Trigynaspida (Acari : Parasitiformes). International Journal of Acarology 3: 129-149

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.

Seeman, O.D. 2019. The megisthanid mites (Mesostigmata: Megisthanidae) of Australia. Zootaxa 4563(1): 1-40

History of changes