Arthropod-parasite
Guides
Leptus
Leptus is a genus of large mites in the family Erythraeidae, first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1796. The genus comprises approximately 202 species and is distinguished from the related genus Balaustium by the forward placement of eyes on the body. Leptus species are primarily known as ectoparasites, with larvae feeding on various arthropod hosts including bees, harvestmen, and other insects. The genus has been documented across multiple continents including South America, North America, Africa, and Asia.
Pseudogaurax signatus
frit fly
Pseudogaurax signatus is a species of frit fly in the family Chloropidae, first described by Loew in 1876. The species has been documented as a parasite of spider egg sacs, specifically those of the black and yellow garden spider Argiope aurantia. This parasitic relationship was recorded in a 1993 study by Lockley and Young, which identified P. signatus as one of the chief parasites emerging from A. aurantia egg sacs alongside the ichneumon wasp Tromatopia rufopectus. The species belongs to a genus that includes other parasitoid members, with the congeneric species Pseudogaurax paratolmos being the first chloropid fly discovered to parasitize ants.