Polydiscia deuterosminthurus

Polydiscia deuterosminthurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Subclass: Acari
Order: Trombidiformes
Family: Tanaupodidae
Genus: Polydiscia
Species: P. deuterosminthurus
Binomial name
Polydiscia deuterosminthurus
Baquero, Moraza & Jordana, 2003

Polydiscia deuterosminthurus is a species of mite recently discovered in the autonomous community of Navarre in Spain.

Only the six-legged larval stage is so far known. This lives as a parasite on the springtail Deuterosminthurus bisetosus, which was discovered at the same time as the parasite. The association between the two species only seems to last for a few weeks in May and June. Both creatures appear to be entirely restricted to a single host plant at this stage of their life cycle: the broom Genista hispanica.

These red mites are tiny, less than 0.3 mm in length but are huge in comparison to their hosts, averaging a third of the length of Deuterosminthurus bisetosus, to which they attach piggyback-fashion, the jaws embedded in the joint between head and prothorax. The remainder of the life cycle of this mite remains a total mystery.

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