Opilioacariformes

Opilioacariformes
Temporal range: Eocene–Recent
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Subclass: Acari
Order: Opilioacariformes
Johnston, 1968
Family: Opilioacaridae
With, 1902
Synonyms [1]
  • Notostigmata With, 1903–1904
  • Opilioacarida With, 1902

Opilioacariformes is the smallest order (or superorder[2]) of mites, containing a single family, and around 10 genera.[3] They are rare, large mites, and are widely considered primitive, as they retain six pairs of eyes, and abdominal segmentation.[4] Opilioacariformes may be the sister group to the Parasitiformes.[5]

The first member of the Opilioacariformes to be discovered was the Algerian species Opilioacarus segmentatus, which was described by Carl Johannes With in 1902, followed by the Sicilian Eucarus italicus and Eucarus arabicus from Aden, both in 1904.[3] A single fossil specimen is known, which was discovered in Baltic amber from the Eocene.[6]

  • Adenacarus Hammen, 1966
  • Caribeacarus Vázquez & Klompen, 2009
  • Indiacarus Das & Bastawade, 2007
  • Neocarus Chamberlin & Mulauk, 1942
  • Opilioacarus With, 1902
  • Panchaetes Naudo, 1963
  • Paracarus Chamberlin & Mulauk, 1942
  • Phalangioacarus Coineau & Hammen, 1979
  • Salfacarus Hammen, 1977
  • Siamacarus Leclerc, 1989
  • Vanderhammenacarus Leclerc, 1989

References

  1. ^ Joel Hallan (March 24, 2008). "Subclass Acari". Biology Catalog. Texas A&M University. http://insects.tamu.edu/research/collection/hallan/acarallgen.html. 
  2. ^ "Acari". Tree of Life Web Project. http://tolweb.org/Acari. Retrieved June 8, 2010. 
  3. ^ a b Mark S. Harvey (2002). "The neglected cousins: what do we know about the smaller arachnid orders?" (PDF). Journal of Arachnology 30: 357–372. doi:10.1636/0161-8202(2002)030[0357:TNCWDW]2.0.CO;2. http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_Congress/JoA_v30_n2/arac-30-02-357.pdf. 
  4. ^ J. A. Dunlop & G. Alberti (2008). "The affinities of mites and ticks: a review" (PDF). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 46 (1): 1–18. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0469.2007.00429.x. http://www.bio-nica.info/biblioteca/Dunlop2007MitesAndTicks.pdf. 
  5. ^ Jonathan A. Coddington, Gonzalo Giribet, Mark S. Harvey, Lorenzo Prendini & David E. Walter (2004). "Arachnida". In Joel Cracraft & Michael J. Donoghue. Assembling the tree of life. Oxford University Press. pp. 296–318. ISBN 9780195172348. 
  6. ^ Jason A. Dunlop, Jörg Wunderlich & George O. Poinar, Jr. (2003). "The first fossil opilioacariform mite (Acari: Opilioacariformes) and the first Baltic amber camel spider (Solifugae)". Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences 94: 261–273. doi:10.1017/S0263593300000663.