Phoresy
Guides
Acaridae
Stored Products Mites, Mold Mites, Grain Mites
Acaridae is a family of mites in the order Sarcoptiformes, commonly known as stored products mites or mold mites. The family includes over 400 species across multiple genera, with cosmopolitan distributions. Many species are generalists inhabiting both natural environments (soil, litter, animal nests, decomposing plant material) and artificial environments (human dwellings, granaries, greenhouses). Several genera contain significant agricultural and stored product pests, including *Acarus*, *Tyrophagus*, and *Rhizoglyphus*, which cause economic damage to crops, bulbs, and stored foodstuffs.
Acaridae
acarid mites
Acaridae is a family of mites in the order Sarcoptiformes. It contains a wide range of forms and lifestyles rather than one uniform ecological type. Members have been recorded in natural settings such as soil, leaf litter, animal nests, and decomposing plant material, as well as in stored products and other human-associated environments. Some species are useful examples of how mites can move between habitats through specialized life stages or associations with larger animals.
Afrocypholaelaps
Afrocypholaelaps is a genus of mesostigmatid mites in the family Ameroseiidae. Its documented members live on flowers in tropical regions of the Old World and Oceania, where they feed on pollen and nectar. Flower-visiting insects, including honeybees, carry the mites between flowers; the insects serve as transport rather than the mites’ usual feeding site. Identification relies on fine structural characters and may require a specialist key.
Algophagidae
Algophagidae is a family of astigmatid mites containing approximately 5 genera and at least 10 described species. Members inhabit specialized microhabitats including tree sap fluxes, water-filled treeholes, and sub-Antarctic moss or algal beds. Several species exhibit complex life histories with facultative deutonymph stages that may be phoretic or non-phoretic depending on environmental conditions. The family shows notable morphological plasticity related to habitat occupation.
Anomiopsoides
Anomiopsoides is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Scarabaeinae, and tribe Eucraniini. Four species are currently listed under the genus in GBIF. A 2005 taxonomic revision characterized it as endemic to southern South America, and occurrence records include several Argentine provinces. Research on the genus has also described food-relocation behavior.
Antennophoroidea
Antennophoroidea is a superfamily of mites within the order Mesostigmata, suborder Trigynaspida. Members of this group are primarily associated with insects, often exhibiting parasitic or phoretic relationships with ant, bee, and wasp hosts. The superfamily is characterized by specialized morphological adaptations for clinging to host antennae and other body parts. It represents a relatively small but ecologically distinctive lineage within the diverse mite fauna.
Antennoseius
Antennoseius is a genus of predatory mesostigmatic mites in the family Ascidae, with roughly 58–59 nominal species reported worldwide. Species have been recorded in moist soil, plant litter, moss, salt marshes, and the nests of mammals, birds, and ants. Adult females of many species attach to ground beetles for transport, a relationship called phoresy. The genus is recognized by its divided dorsal shields and specialized ventral shields, but species-level identification usually requires microscopy and detailed setal and shield characters.
Antherophagus ochraceus
silken fungus beetle
Antherophagus ochraceus is a silken fungus beetle (family Cryptophagidae) native to North America. It is one of the largest members of its family, measuring 4-5 mm as an adult. The species exhibits a distinctive phoretic relationship with bumblebees, attaching to bees to reach their nests where larvae develop.
Anystipalpus
Anystipalpus is a genus of mesostigmatid mites placed in the family Ascidae by the GBIF backbone. A taxonomic revision treated four species and recorded the genus from Eurasia, where adult females were found attached to carabid beetles and labidurid earwigs. Females have an ovoid body and distinctive elongate palps, but separating species requires microscopic examination of fine structures and setae. The attachment is phoresy: a transport association with a larger animal, rather than evidence that the mites are feeding on their carriers.
Arrenurus
water mites
Arrenurus is the largest genus of water mites, comprising approximately 950 species with cosmopolitan distribution in lentic freshwater habitats. Adults are heavily sclerotized, predatory, and exhibit marked sexual dimorphism—males possess diagnostic caudal modifications used in mating, while female taxonomy remains problematic. The life cycle includes seven stages: egg, inactive prelarva, parasitic larva, protonymph, deutonymph, tritonymph, and adult. Larvae are ectoparasites of aquatic insects, particularly Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), but also Diptera and Coleoptera, utilizing hosts for both nutrition and phoretic dispersal.
Arrenurus problecornis
Arrenurus problecornis is a species of water mite (family Arrenuridae) described by Cook in 1976. Like other members of the genus Arrenurus, it is part of the subgenus Arrenurus, which is characterized by parasitic larvae that attach to odonate hosts (dragonflies and damselflies). The species belongs to the diverse radiation of water mites (Hydrachnidia), a group comprising over 6,000 species of predatory freshwater arachnids with complex life histories involving parasitic larval stages and free-living predatory adults.
Ascidae
Ascidae is a family of predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata. Members occupy diverse habitats including soil, litter, bark, and freshwater margins. Many species are phoretic, dispersing on larger arthropods such as beetles and flies. The family was historically broader, with Blattisociidae and Melicharidae now treated as separate families based on morphological distinctions.
Astigmata
Astigmata is a diverse suborder of mites characterized by the absence of stigmata (respiratory openings) and tracheal systems. The group encompasses three major ecological radiations: permanent ectosymbionts of birds (feather mites), inhabitants of decaying organic matter and stored products, and parasites of vertebrates and arthropods. Feather mites represent the most species-rich component, with three superfamilies (Analgoidea, Pterolichoidea, Freyanoidea) colonizing all feather types of birds worldwide. Many non-feather-associated lineages exhibit a specialized dispersal stage, the heteromorphic deutonymph (hypopus), adapted for phoretic transport on arthropods. The suborder shows remarkable morphological and ecological diversification, with life cycles ranging from entirely host-bound to complex multi-habitat strategies.
Athyreacaridae
Athyreacaridae is a family of mites in the order Trombidiformes. Members of the family have been documented in association with bolboceratine or bolboceratid scarab beetles, often in relationships described as phoresy. Revisions and regional studies continue to add genera and species. Family-wide details are less complete than the information available for individual mite species.
Athyreacarus
Athyreacarus is a genus of mites in the family Athyreacaridae. A 2019 revision treats New World species associated with bolboceratine scarab beetles and added nine species to the genus. Records place members on beetles in several genera, including Athyreus, Neoathyreus, Parathyreus, and Bolbelasmus; in at least some cases the mites travel on their beetle hosts (phoresy).
Borborillus
*Borborillus* is a genus of flies in the family Sphaeroceridae, established by Duda in 1923. The GBIF Backbone currently recognizes seven accepted species and also retains one doubtful duplicate species record. Research on individual species provides examples of livestock-farm sampling, parasite detection, and phoretic behavior.
Brasilopsis
Brasilopsis is a genus of mites in the family Pygmephoridae. Its species are small enough that reliable identification belongs to specialist taxonomic work rather than casual field recognition. A 2022 description of B. floridensis documented the genus in the United States for the first time and associated phoretic females with ambrosia beetles in Florida.
Caesarodispus
Caesarodispus is a genus of microdispid mites (Acari) recorded in studies of ants and their nests. Published species records include Ukraine, Iran, and the United States, though these reports do not establish the genus's full range. Researchers have reported mites in ant nests and one species transported on Temnothorax ants. The available records illustrate close associations with ants, but do not establish that every species has the same relationship.
Caparinia
Caparinia is a genus of astigmatid mites in Psoroptidae. GBIF lists C. tripilis and C. vulpis among its accepted species. The best documented members are ectoparasites of hedgehogs, with records from Europe, New Zealand, and other regions. C. tripilis can be visible on the host and is associated with skin irritation and crusted lesions.
Carpelimus
spiny-legged rove beetles
Carpelimus is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) containing at least 100 described species. Members are commonly referred to as spiny-legged rove beetles. The genus has a broad distribution spanning the Palearctic, Oriental, and other regions, with recent records documenting range extensions in Southeast Asia and South Asia. At least one species, Carpelimus rivularis, has been documented as a host for phoretic mites (Pygmephoridae).
Ceraeochrysa
trash-carrier lacewings, green lacewings
Ceraeochrysa is a genus of green lacewings in the family Chrysopidae, established by Adams in 1982 based on distinct genitalia structure. It is the second largest genus in Chrysopidae with 61 species distributed from southeastern Canada to Argentina, with highest diversity in the Neotropics. Larvae are known as 'trash carriers' that construct dorsal packets of debris for camouflage, including insect wax, lichen, and plant material. The genus contains important biological control agents that prey on mealybugs, aphids, mites, thrips, and lepidopteran eggs.
Ceraeochrysa claveri
trash bug (larval stage)
A green lacewing in the family Chrysopidae, Ceraeochrysa claveri is a polyphagous predator with established value in biological control of agricultural pests. Larvae are "trash carriers" that construct dorsal camouflage packets using assorted materials including lichen, plant trichomes, and notably the wax of mealybugs and other insects. The species has been documented incorporating live mealybug nymphs into these packets, representing the first recorded instance of active placement of live prey onto the larval packet. Adults feed on pollen and may contribute to pollination. The species shows high genetic diversity across agroecosystems and is compatible with certain biopesticides including Bacillus thuringiensis serovar aizawai.
Cerambycinae
Round-necked Longhorn Beetles
Cerambycinae is a large subfamily of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) comprising over 715 genera and approximately 3,900 species. It represents one of the two most diverse subfamilies within Cerambycidae, rivaled only by Lamiinae. The subfamily exhibits worldwide distribution with particular diversity in the Americas, where 430 species in 130 genera occur in the neotropical realm. Members are characterized by morphological features including a rounded pronotum and specific maxillary palp structure.
Cerophagus
Cerophagus is a genus of astigmatine mites in the family Gaudiellidae. GBIF recognizes Cerophagus Oudemans, 1903 as an accepted genus and lists one accepted constituent species in its backbone record. The genus is notable for documented associations with bumblebees: a peer-reviewed study described Cerophagus nearcticus from a bumblebee nest and reported phoretic associations with other bumblebees.
Chaetodactylidae
Chaetodactylidae is a family of mites in the order Sarcoptiformes, comprising five genera: Sennertia, Chaetodactylus, Achaetodactylus, Centriacarus, and Roubikia. Members of this family are exclusively associated with bees, exhibiting diverse ecological relationships ranging from phoresy to cleptoparasitism. Some species function as mutualists, potentially removing fungi from host nests, while others significantly harm bee populations through nest-to-nest dispersal and host mortality.
Chaetodactylus
Chaetodactylus is a genus of parasitic mites in the family Chaetodactylidae containing over 20 species. These mites are obligate associates of solitary bees, primarily in the families Megachilidae and Anthophoridae. They are kleptoparasites that consume pollen and nectar provisions intended for bee larvae, and frequently kill developing bee larvae through direct attack. The genus exhibits a complex life cycle involving two distinct deutonymph stages: a phoretic form that disperses on adult bees and an inert, cyst-like non-phoretic form that survives in nest cavities to infest subsequent host generations. Several species have become significant pests in managed pollinator systems, particularly in orchard pollination operations using Osmia bees.
Chaetodactylus
Chaetodactylus is an accepted genus of astigmatid mites in the family Chaetodactylidae. The genus is best known in the available natural-history record through species that live in the nest galleries of mason bees (Osmia). These mites can ride on emerging bees to reach new nests, where they may consume pollen provisions and, in reported cases, bee eggs. That intimate connection makes them small but consequential residents of solitary-bee nests.
Chaetodactylus krombeini
Krombein's hairy-footed pollen mite
Chaetodactylus krombeini is a cleptoparasitic mite in the family Chaetodactylidae that infests nests of solitary megachilid bees, primarily Osmia lignaria (blue orchard bee) and Osmia cornifrons (hornfaced bee). Described by Baker in 1962, this 0.5 mm mite consumes pollen and nectar provisions intended for developing bee larvae, causing mortality through starvation and direct egg damage. The mite disperses between nests primarily by hitchhiking on adult bees during emergence, though walking dispersal through nest entrances and parasitic wasp holes has been documented. Females are larger than males. Despite the common name "pollen mite," the species consumes more nectar than pollen.
Chernetidae
Chernetid Pseudoscorpions
Chernetidae is a large family of pseudoscorpions in the order Pseudoscorpiones, containing over 650 described species across 119 genera. Members are small arachnids lacking a tail and stinger, characterized by prominent pincer-like pedipalps. The family was established by Anton Menge in 1855. Many species inhabit subcortical environments beneath tree bark and are frequently documented engaging in phoresy—attaching to insects such as longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae) for dispersal.
Chrysomelobia
Chrysomelobia is a genus of sexually transmitted parasitic mites in the family Podapolipidae that infest chrysomelid beetles. The genus was originally described from the Americas, Europe and Africa, and was later expanded to include Australian species following the synonymization of Parobia. These mites complete their entire life cycle on adult beetles and do not infest immature host stages.
Compsomyiops
Compsomyiops is a genus of blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) established by Townsend in 1918. Members are necrophagous and serve as important forensic indicators for postmortem interval estimation. The genus has been documented as a phoretic host for Myianoetus mites (Acari: Histiostomatidae), representing a novel dispersal association for these mites. At least two species are recognized: C. fulvicrura in South America and C. wheeleri in North America.
Dermanyssina
Dermanyssina is a suborder of mesostigmatid mites characterized by adaptations for parasitic or phoretic lifestyles. Members exhibit diverse host associations, including beetles and earwigs. The suborder includes taxa with specialized morphological features for attachment to and transport by host organisms.
Dermatobia
Dermatobia is a genus of bot flies in the family Oestridae. The best-documented species, *D. hominis*, is a neotropical parasite whose larvae develop in the flesh of mammals, including people. Reviews place that species from Mexico to Argentina and describe a phoretic fly—one that carries another organism—as part of its life cycle. This biology gives the genus particular medical relevance for travelers and veterinary care in endemic regions.
Diarthrophallidae
Diarthrophallidae is a family of tiny arachnid mites in the order Mesostigmata. Trägårdh established the family in 1946. It includes genera such as Abrotarsala, Diarthrophallus, Malasudis, Passalobia, Passalobiella, and Tenuiplanta. Many documented members live in close association with passalid beetles, which provide a mobile and sheltered habitat.
Diplogyniidae
Diplogyniidae is a family of parasitic mites in the order Mesostigmata. Most species are associated with beetles, particularly passalid beetles (Coleoptera: Passalidae), histerid beetles (Histeridae), and scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae). Some species have been recorded from larger mammals, including rats. The family exhibits strong host specificity, with many species restricted to single host species, though exceptions such as Paradiplogynium nahmani occur across multiple hosts.
Dolichocybe
Dolichocybe is a genus of prostigmatid mites in the family Dolichocybidae. Species have been described from Iran and western Siberia, although these records do not by themselves define the genus’s full range. A genus-level revision reports two species associated with beetles and the first documented phoresy (hitchhiking transport) in Dolichocybe. Identification is technical: taxonomic keys and microscopic characters, including the setae on the first leg segment, are used to separate species.
Dryobius sexnotatus
Six-banded Longhorn Beetle
Dryobius sexnotatus is a species of longhorned beetle (Cerambycidae) and the sole member of its monospecific genus. It is endemic to North America. The species has been documented as a host for phoretic pseudoscorpions, which attach to adult beetles for dispersal.
Ensliniella
Ensliniella is a genus of winterschmidtiid mites in the order Astigmata. Published species are associated with solitary vespid wasps, including Allodynerus mandschuricus in Japan and Allodynerus delphinalis. These records show a mite–wasp association in which a mobile host can transport a mite between sites. In E. parasitica, the association has been discussed as potentially mutualistic because the mite can attack a parasitoid that threatens both partners.
Epidermoptidae
Epidermoptidae is a family of acariform mites in the order Sarcoptiformes. Members are permanent ectoparasites of birds and mammals, inhabiting skin surfaces and subcutaneous tissues. Several species are nostril specialists. Some genera have evolved phoretic associations with louse flies (Hippoboscidae), and certain species hyperparasitise these carriers, using them for oviposition and feeding. The family shows broad geographic distribution with records from Europe, North America, Australia, and the Galápagos Islands.
Eucharitinae
Eucharitinae is a subfamily of chalcid wasps within Eucharitidae, established by Walker in 1846. Members are parasitoids of ants, with larvae developing inside ant colonies after being transported by worker ants. The subfamily is distinguished by specialized life history adaptations involving ant host exploitation.
Eviphididae
Eviphididae is a family of predatory mesostigmatid mites. Members are small terrestrial arachnids, and the best-supported family-level feeding pattern is predation on nematodes. Some species occur in dung, carrion-associated habitats, or on beetles, where a dispersal stage can move between temporary resources.
Fannia pusio
Chicken Dung Fly
Fannia pusio is a small calyptrate fly in the family Fanniidae, commonly known as the chicken dung fly. Native to Central and North America, it has achieved near-global distribution through human-mediated dispersal associated with livestock. The species is notable for its synanthropic association with poultry facilities, where it can reach nuisance-level populations. It has forensic significance as a colonizer of decomposing remains, including buried corpses inaccessible to larger flies, and serves as a developmental indicator for post-mortem interval estimation. Females also function as phoretic hosts for Dermatobia hominis eggs, linking the species to veterinary and medical myiasis cases.
Formicomotes
Formicomotes is a genus of minute mites in the family Dolichocybidae. A taxonomic study described F. brasiliensis from Brazil and redescribed F. octipes, documenting the genus from both South America and Crimea. One species, F. brasiliensis, was found riding Nasutitermes termites; this is a species-specific record, not a demonstrated trait of every member of the genus.
Glycyphagus
Grocer's Itch Mites
Glycyphagus is a genus of astigmatid mites in the family Glycyphagidae, commonly known as grocer's itch mites. Species in this genus inhabit diverse environments including animal nests, stored products, house dust, and hay. They feed on organic debris and can disperse via phoresy on insects or air currents. Some species are significant pests of stored grain and household materials.
Glycyphagus
Glycyphagus is a genus of astigmatine mites in the family Glycyphagidae. The genus is recorded worldwide and includes mites found in animal nests, stored products, house dust, grass, hay, and beehives. Adults are recognized by a distinctive combination of dorsal setae, ventral ridges, simple claws, and other characters that usually require a microscope and identification key. In bee-associated settings, some species feed on stored pollen, honey, debris, and other organic material rather than relying on bees as obligatory hosts.
Glyptholaspis
Glyptholaspis is a genus of macrochelid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) first described by Filipponi and Pegazzano in 1960. The genus comprises approximately 10 species worldwide, including G. fimicola (the type species), G. americana, and G. confusa. Species in this genus are associated with dung beetles (Scarabaeidae) via phoresy, using beetles for transport between dung microhabitats. Two species, G. americana and G. confusa, have been documented in Australia, while G. fimicola has been recorded from Bali, Indonesia.
Haeteriinae
Haeteriinae is a subfamily of clown beetles (Histeridae) comprising over 110 genera and 330 described species. Members are obligate myrmecophiles and termitophiles, specialized as social symbionts that infiltrate ant and termite colonies. The subfamily exhibits dramatic behavioral and chemical adaptations for colony integration, including mouth-to-mouth feeding with host workers, grooming behaviors, and chemical mimicry of host scents. A 99-million-year-old fossil from Burmese amber demonstrates that this symbiotic relationship originated in the Cretaceous period, contemporaneous with the earliest-known ants.
Halodarcia
Halodarcia is a genus of mesostigmatic mites in the family Halolaelapidae. Four species are listed for the genus, with records from Europe and northern Asia. The mites are associated with carabid beetles and have been reported beneath the beetles’ elytra, the hardened forewings that cover the abdomen. In the family’s identification key, Halodarcia is distinguished by an entire dorsal shield in the adult female.
Hemisarcoptidae
Hemisarcoptidae is an accepted family of mites in the arachnid order Sarcoptiformes. The family includes Hemisarcoptes, a genus whose members have been studied in association with armored scale insects. Research on Hemisarcoptes shows that host stage and the surface of the host plant can affect access to scale insects. Some Hemisarcoptes deutonymphs are transported by Chilocorus ladybird beetles, linking part of their life history to both scale insects and beetles.
Histiostoma
Histiostoma is a genus of astigmatan mites in the family Histiostomatidae, characterized by modified brush-like chelicerae adapted for filtering microbes from substrates. The genus exhibits remarkable ecological diversity, with species occupying habitats ranging from bark beetle galleries and insect associations to aquatic environments and decaying organic matter. Many species form heteromorphic deutonymphs (hypopi) specialized for phoretic dispersal on arthropod hosts. Histiostoma includes economically significant species such as H. feroniarum, a pest of cultivated mushrooms, and H. laboratorium, a notorious contaminant of Drosophila research cultures.