• Polyaspidini Berlese, A. 1913. Acarotheca Italica. Firenze : Ricci 221 pp.

Introduction

The family Polyaspididae as used here includes a single genus and about 20 species (Hirschmann & Wiśniewski 1993). They are found in Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Australasia in litter, moss, under bark, and in tree holes. Camin (1953) summarised the classification of the family, and Athias (1975) reviewed the morphology and development of the best known species, Polyaspis patavinus. The European species of Polyaspis were reviewed by Karg (1989) and Mašán (2001). Only one described species is known from Australia, Polyaspis australis, which was described from deutonymphs phoretic on beetles in Queensland and Java (Berlese, 1910). The identity of this species can not be confirmed, because the type slides are so badly damaged that the specimens are no longer visible (Gorirossi-Boudeau 1997). Proctor et al. (2011) reported an unidentified species from Queensland.

General References

Athias, F. 1975. Observations morphologiques sur Polyaspis patavinus Berlese 1881 (Acariens: Uropodides). I. Morphologie de l'idiosoma au cours du développement postembryonnaire. Acarologia 17: 410–435

Berlese, A. 1910. Brevi diagnosi di generi e specie nuovi di Acari. Redia. Giornale di entomologia, Firenze 6: 346-388

Camin, J.H. 1953. A revision of the Cohort Trachytina Trägårdh, 1938, with the description of Dyscritaspis whartoni, a new genus and species of Polyaspid mite from tree holes. Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sciences 9: 335-385

Gorirossi-Bourdeau, F. 1997. A review of Berlese's species belonging to the Uropodina with illustrations. Part I: Species and subspecies beginning with the letters a and b. (Mesostigmata: Parasitiformes: Acari). Studiedocumenten van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen 90: 1-108

Hirschmann, W. & Wisniewski, J. 1993. Acari Parasitiformes. Supercohors Atrichopygidiina Hirschmann 1975. Die Uropodiden der Erde. Acarologie. Schriftenreihe für Vergleichende Milbenkunde 40: 1-466

Karg, W. 1989. Acari (Acarina), Milben, Unterordnung Parasitiformes (Anactinochaeta). Uropodina Kramer, Schildkrötenmilben. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands und der angrenzenden Meeresteile 67: 1–203

Mašán, P. 2001. Mites of the Cohort Uropodina (Acarina, Mesostigmata) in Slovakia. Annotationes Zoologicae et Botanicae, Bratislava 223: 1–320

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

History of changes

• Polyaspis Berlese, A. 1881. Indagini sulle metamorfosi di alcuni Acari insetticoli. Atti del Reale Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti 5 8: 37-81.

Introduction

In addition to the named species listed here, unidentified species of Polyaspis have been reported from Australia by Shaw (1999), Beaulieu & Walter (2007) and Lindquist et al. (2009).

General References

Beaulieu, F. & Walter, D.E. 2007. Predation in suspended and forest floor soils: observations on Australian mesostigmatic mites. Acarologia 47: 43–54

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.

Shaw, M. 1999. Mites and ticks from wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) burrows on Masthead Island. Queensland Naturalist 37: 43-47

History of changes

• Poliaspis australis Berlese, A. 1910. Brevi diagnosi di generi e specie nuovi di Acari. Redia. Giornale di entomologia, Firenze 6: 346-388 [subsequent misspelling; of Polyaspis].

General References

Athias, F. 1975. Observations morphologiques sur Polyaspis patavinus Berlese 1881 (Acariens: Uropodides). I. Morphologie de l'idiosoma au cours du développement postembryonnaire. Acarologia 17: 410–435 (as Polyaspis australis)

Camin, J.H. 1953. A revision of the Cohort Trachytina Trägårdh, 1938, with the description of Dyscritaspis whartoni, a new genus and species of Polyaspid mite from tree holes. Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sciences 9: 335-385 (as Polyaspis australis)

Gorirossi-Bourdeau, F. 1997. A review of Berlese's species belonging to the Uropodina with illustrations. Part I: Species and subspecies beginning with the letters a and b. (Mesostigmata: Parasitiformes: Acari). Studiedocumenten van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen 90: 1-108 (as Polyaspis australis)

Hirschmann, W. & Hutu, M. 1974. Gangsystematik der Parasitiformes. Teil 187. Uropodiden-Forschung und die Uropodiden der Erde, geordnet nach dem Gangsystem und nach den Ländern in zoogeographischen Reichen und Unterreichen. Acarologie. Schriftenreihe für Vergleichende Milbenkunde 20: 6-36 (as Polyaspis australis)

Johnston, D.E. 1961. A review of the lower Uropodoid mites (former Thinozerconoidea, Protodinychoidea and Trachytoidea) with notes on the classification of the Uropodina (Acarina). Acarologia 3: 522-545 (as Polyaspis australis)

History of changes