Caeculoidea

Berlese, 1883

rake-legged mites

Family Guides

Caeculidae(rake-legged mites)

Caeculoidea is a superfamily of mites in the order Trombidiformes, containing the single Caeculidae. These arachnids are commonly known as rake-legged mites due to their distinctive leg modifications. The group comprises approximately 9 and 100 described with a worldwide distribution. Fossil evidence extends back to the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous), with specimens preserved in Burmese amber.

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 Caeculoidea: /kaɪˈkuloʊˌɪdiə/

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

Images

Distribution

Worldwide distribution.

More Details

Taxonomic composition

Caeculoidea is at the level, containing only Caeculidae. The family includes approximately 9 and 100 described .

Fossil record

The oldest confirmed records of Caeculidae are from Cenomanian-aged Burmese amber (~100 million years ago), attributed to the extant Procaeculus, indicating long-term morphological stability in this lineage.