The Trombidiformes are a large, diverse order of mites.
Taxonomy
In 1998, Trombidiformes was divided into the Sphaerolichida and the Prostigmata.[1] The group has few synapomorphies by which it can be defined, unlike the other major group of acariform mites, Sarcoptiformes.[1] Its members include medically important mites (such as Demodex, the chiggers, and scrub-itch mites) and many agriculturally important species, including the spider mites (Tetranychidae) and gall mites (Eriophyidae).[1]
The 2004 classification retained the two suborders, comprising around 125 families and more than 22,000 described species.[2]
In the 2011 revised classification, the order now contains 151 families, 2235 genera and 25,821 species, and there were another 10 species with 24 species that present only as fossils.[3] These 151 families were classified into the same two major suborders[3]：
- Sphaerolichida OConnor, 1984: Now contains only two superfamilies;
- Prostigmata Kramer, 1877: Still the biggest branch in this taxon, with four infraorders and 40 superfamilies.
References
- 1 2 3 Heather Proctor (August 9, 1998). "Trombidiformes. Trombidiform mites". Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
- ↑ David Evans Walker (2004). "Hidden in Plain Sight: Mites in the Canopy". In Margaret Lowman, H. Bruce Rinker. Forest Canopies. Physiological Ecology Series (2nd ed.). Academic Press. pp. 224–241. ISBN 978-0-12-457553-0.
- 1 2 Zhang, Zhi-Qiang; Fan, Qing-Hai; Pesic, Vladimir; Smit, Harry; Bochkov, Andre V.; Khaustov, A. A.; Baker, Anne; Wohltmann, Andreas; Wen, Tinghuan; Amrine, James W.; Beron, P.; Lin, Jianzhen; Gabrys, Grzegorz; Husband, Robert (2011). "Order Trombidiformes Reuter, 1909" (PDF). In Zhang, Z.-Q. Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa. Magnolia Press. pp. 129–147. ISBN 978-1-86977-850-7. ISSN 1175-5334.
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