Bark-beetle-associates
Guides
Dendrolaelaps
Dendrolaelaps is a genus of mites in the family Digamasellidae, first described in 1915. The genus contains more than 170 described species. At least one species, D. neodisetus, has been documented as nematophagous and associated with pine bark beetles.
Dysmerus
Dysmerus is a genus of small beetles in the family Laemophloeidae, comprising 15 species distributed across the New World from the southeastern United States to Bolivia and the West Indies. The genus remained monotypic for over a century until a 2025 revision resurrected two synonymized species and described 12 new species. Males possess a grotesquely modified antennal scape of unknown function, a diagnostic feature of the genus. These beetles are rarely encountered, though adults occasionally come to light at night.
Lasconotus
cylindrical bark beetles
Lasconotus is a genus of cylindrical bark beetles in the family Zopheridae, established by Erichson in 1845. The genus contains at least 20 described species. Members are associated with coniferous forests, particularly spruce systems. Some species exhibit specialized behavioral adaptations, including attraction to bark beetle aggregation pheromones.
Tarsonemidae
thread-footed mites, white mites
Tarsonemidae is a family of mites in the order Trombidiformes, commonly known as thread-footed mites or white mites. The family exhibits diverse feeding habits: most species feed on fungal mycelia or algal bodies, while a limited number of genera (Steneotarsonemus, Polyphagotarsonemus, Phytonemus, Floridotarsonemus, and Tarsonemus) feed on higher plants. Some tarsonemids are associated with insects, including parasites of bees (Acarapis woodi), associates of leaf-footed bug glands, and attachments to grasshopper wings. Several species are significant agricultural pests, notably the broad mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) and cyclamen mite (Steneotarsonemus pallidus).