Parasitidae

predatory mites, bee mites, beetle mites

Parasitidae is a of predatory in the Mesostigmata, representing the sole family in the superfamily Parasitoidea. These mites are relatively large for their group, often appearing yellowish to dark in color. The family has worldwide distribution and contains approximately 400 across 29 organized into two : Pergamasinae (soil-dwelling, non-phoretic) and Parasitinae (nest-dwelling, phoretic ). Members on diverse microarthropods and nematodes, with individual species typically exhibiting narrower prey ranges than the family as a whole.

Pergamasinae by (c) Owen Strickland, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Owen Strickland. Used under a CC-BY license.

Poecilochirus by (c) Jamie O'Neill, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jamie O'Neill. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Parasitidae: //ˌpæɹ.əˈsɪt.ɪˌdiː//

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

Identification

Relatively large body size compared to most ; coloration ranges from yellowish to dark . Two distinguished by and mode: Pergamasinae found in soil without phoretic dispersal; Parasitinae found in animal nests or decaying matter with phoretic .

Images

Habitat

Pergamasinae: soil and rotting matter. Subfamily Parasitinae: nests of small mammals or , decaying organic matter including seaweed to forest litter, animal and manure.

Distribution

Worldwide distribution. Pergamasinae: Holarctic region with center of diversity in Europe. Specific records from Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Poland. Parasitinae: ; associated with various including bumblebees, other , and .

Diet

as a whole preys on wide variety of microarthropods and nematodes; individual typically have narrower ranges. Specific documented prey includes and nematodes.

Host Associations

dung beetles (Aphodiinae) - phoretic for used by Parasitinae for transport to new
bumblebees - phoretic Parasitellus and related genera
other bees - phoretic various in Parasitinae
burying beetles - phoretic Poecilochirus

Life Cycle

Development from to occurs rapidly in ephemeral (as quick as three days in some ). Deutonymph serves as environmentally tolerant, non-feeding stage capable of surviving starvation and desiccation for approximately one month. Phoretic deutonymphs disperse on . Molting to adulthood triggered by abundant food resources and encounters with ; lose environmental and dispersal ability, with longevity of approximately one week. Developmental times range from 12 to over 60 days depending on species and conditions; laboratory times of 8.5–10.2 days reported.

Behavior

Phoretic via stage on . Developmental arrest at deutonymph stage under isolated conditions. Sex-specific molting triggers: female deutonymphs upon encountering males regardless of male stage, while male deutonymphs only molt when paired with female deutonymphs (not females), representing adaptive male mate choice in ephemeral environments.

Ecological Role

Predatory controlling of microarthropods and nematodes in soil, , and decaying matter .

Similar Taxa

Oribatidaalso called ' ' but for different reasons; Oribatida is an of mites with different and , not a within Mesostigmata