Family PYEMOTIDAE Oudemans, 1937

Museums

Regional Maps

• Pyemotidae Oudemans, A.C. 1937. Kritisch Historisch Overzicht der Acarologie, Deerde Gedeelte, 1805-1850. Leiden : E.J. Brill Vol. C pp. 798-1348.

Introduction

The family Pyemotidae includes a single genus and about 20 species (Walter et al. 2009). They are parasites of insects, especially Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, including the species that commonly infest stored grain. The mites paralyse their prey by injecting venom. They often bite humans, and cause painful itching referred to as "straw itch" or "grain itch" in workers in the stored grain industry (Moser 1975). Some species have been used as biological control agents for insect pests such as fire ants, bollworms, and moths and beetles in stored grain (Gerson et al. 2003). The Australian Pyemotidae are poorly known, with only five species in a single genus. The taxonomy of the genus Pyemotes has been subject to much confusion. Many literature records are based on misidentifications, and some of the included species have a complicated synonymy. Some of the Australian species cannot be recognised, and all require thorough revision.

General References

Gerson, U., Smiley, R.L. & Ochoa, R. 2003. Mites (Acari) for Pest Control. Oxford : Blackwell Science 539 pp.

Moser, J.C. 1975. Biosystematics of the straw itch mite with special reference to nomenclature and dermatology. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 127: 185-191

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