Gymnodamaeoidea

Grandjean, 1954

A superfamily of oribatid within the Sarcoptiformes, established by Grandjean in 1954. Members are primarily soil-dwelling microarthropods found in forest litter, mosses, decaying wood, and and mineral soil layers. The group includes such as Licnodamaeus, Plesiodamaeus, Pedrocortesella, and Pleodamaeus. exhibit distinctive cerotegumental ornamentation and setal patterns useful for identification.

Damaeus by (c) Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas. Used under a CC-BY license.

Epidermoptidae by (c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cricket Raspet. Used under a CC-BY license.

Psoroptidae by (c) Oleksii Vasyliuk, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Oleksii Vasyliuk. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Gymnodamaeoidea: /ˌdʒɪmnəʊˌdæmiˈɔɪdiə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Habitat

Forest litter, mosses, decaying wood, and and mineral soil layers. In steppe , found in soils dominated by Stipa and Festuca valesiaca.

Distribution

Palaearctic Region. Documented from Russia (Orenburg Province, Aytuarskaya steppe, Nature Reserve 'Orenburgski'). Individual have broader ranges: Licnodamaeus pulcherrimus occurs across Europe (Hungary, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Poland, Bulgaria, Austria), Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and East Asia (China, Japan, Korea).

Similar Taxa

PlateremaeoideaAnother superfamily of oribatid frequently collected and studied alongside Gymnodamaeoidea in soil surveys; distinguished by different body form and leg structure.