Biology:Micromegistus
Micromegistus is a genus of mites in the family Parantennulidae, symbiotic[lower-alpha 1] on beetles.[1][2]
Ecology
All described species of Micromegistus are associated with ground beetles (Carabidae), though there are records of undescribed Micromegistus associated with other beetle families, such as the darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae).[2] Little is known about the habits of the mites, though it is assumed that they may be "scavengers and kleptoparasites, i.e., eating trash and stealing food", according to researcher Owen Seeman.[3] They may qualify as commensual or mutualist with their hosts. However, the impact their activities such as kleptoparasitism may have on their hosts is unknown.[4]
Behavior
The species Micromegistus bakeri has been noted to prefer the ventral surface (i.e. underside) of their beetle hosts, with a particular preference for the "area around the junction of the prothorax and mesothorax", according to a study by Riggins et. al., who also found that the mites were frequently found on the beetle's mandibles.[4] Meanwhile, Micromegistus in Australia have been found to inhabit the space underneath the elytra of their host.[2]
Species
Micromegistus contains four described species, although there are known to be a number of species which have not yet been described.[2]
- M. bakeri Trägårdh, 1948
- M. gourlayi Womersley, 1958
- M. thorpei Seeman, 2025[2]
- M. viduus (Berlese, 1888)
Notes
- ↑ The exact relationship between these mites and their beetle hosts is unknown.
References
- ↑ Kim, Cheol-Min; Castagnoli, Marisa (2010). "Parantennulidae: what's in the family? (Acari: Mesostigmata: Trigynaspida)". International Journal of Acarology 36 (5): 409–412. doi:10.1080/01647954.2010.488250. ISSN 0164-7954.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Seeman, Owen D. (18 April 2025). "Australia’s first described species of Parantennulidae: Micromegistus thorpei sp. nov. (Acari: Mesostigmata: Antennophorina) from Trichosternus fax (Coleoptera: Carabidae)". Systematic & Applied Acarology 30 (4): 770–786. doi:10.11158/saa.30.4.9. ISSN 1362-1971.
- ↑ Seeman, Owen D. (April 2025). "Micromegistus in Australia". News Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Queensland 53 (2): 28–29. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/392543417_Micromegistus_in_Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Riggins, Nia; Young, Monica R.; Renner, Tanya; Beaulieu, Frédéric; Skvarla, Michael (30 April 2024). "New records of Micromegistus bakeri, Trägårdh 1948 (Acari: Mesostigmata: Parantennulidae), a mite symbiotic on carabid beetles, and notes on the species’ distribution and host specificity". Acarologia 64 (2): 575–591. doi:10.24349/40qb-lv0m. ISSN 0044-586X.
Wikidata ☰ Q18093575 entry
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