Acaridae


The Acaridae are a family of mites in order Sarcoptiformes.

Distribution

There are several acarid genera with cosmopolitan distributions, such as Acarus'', Sancassania and Tyrophagus''.

Ecology

Acaridae live in various habitats and have various diets.
Many are generalists that live in natural and artificial environments. They feed on decomposing organic material, fungi and nematodes.
There are also more specialised acarids. Some Acarus inhabit nests of warm-blooded animals, mostly rodents and birds. Within Sancassania, there are species associated with certain bees, associated with scarabaeid beetles or feeding on mushrooms. A lineage of Tyrophagus, comprising T. formicetorum and related species, only occurs in ant nests. A number of Histiogaster species live beneath bark and feed on fungi.

Dispersal

Various Acaridae have a phoretic deutonymph stage in their life cycle, a non-feeding nymph stage that can disperse to new habitats by riding on larger animals. Hyperphoresy has also been reported, with acarid deutonymphs on a larger Uropodidae mite which in turn was on a beetle.
Most Tyrophagus species do not form deutonymphs, instead dispersing as feeding life stages. They may disperse phoretically, by active movements or by air currents.

Pests

Some Acaridae species are stored product pests, such as Acarus siro, A. farris, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Tyrophagus longior and Tyrolichus casei. These infest stored organic materials such as grains, flour, dried fruit, milk products, hams, cheeses, straw, animal hides, invertebrate culture media, vertebrate bedding materials and animal feed. They thrive in humid conditions and on damp materials. Acaridae can cause dermatitis via piercing human skin or via contact allergens.
There are also Acaridae which are pests of living plants. These include the genus Rhizoglyphus and the species T. longior.

Genera

;Fagacarinae Fain & R. A. Norton, 1979Fagacarus Fain & R. A. Norton, 1979
;Acarinae Nesbitt, 1945Acarus Linnaeus, 1758Aleuroglyphus Zachvatkin, 1940Ebertia Oudemans, 1924Podoglyphus Oudemans, 1937Tyrolichus Oudemans, 1924Tyroglyphites Pampaloni, 1902Tyrophagus Oudemans, 1924
;Rhizoglyphinae Zakhvatkin, 1941Acarotalpa Volgin, 1966Acotyledon Oudemans, 1903Caloglyphus Berlese, 1923Cosmoglyphus Oudemans, 1932Froriepia Vitzthum, 1919Garsaultia Oudemans, 1916Histiogaster Berlese, 1883Horstia Oudemans, 1905Mycetoglyphus Oudemans, 1932Myrmoglyphus Vitzthum, 1935Rhizoglyphus Claparédè, 1869Sancassania Oudemans, 1916Schwiebea Oudemans, 1916Stereoglyphus Berlese, 1923Thyreophagus Rondani, 1874Troglocoptes Fain, 1966Valmontia Oudemans, 1923Viedebanttia Oudemans, 1929
;Pontoppidaniinae Oudemans, 1925Diphtheroglyphus Nesbitt, 1950Pontoppidania Oudemans, 1923
;Incertae sedisAellenella S. Mahunka, 1978Apiacarus Volgin, 1974Amphicalvolia Türk, 1963Armacarus S. Mahunka, 1979Askinasia Yunker, 1970Australhypopus Fain & Friend, 1984Baloghella Mahunka, 1963Bembidioglyphus Klimov, 1998Boletacarus V. I. Volgin & S. V. Mironov, 1980Boletoglyphus Volgin, 1953Bromeliaglyphus H. H. J. Nesbitt, 1985Calvoliella Samsinak, 1969Calvoliopsis Mahunka, 1973Capillaroglyphus Klimov, 1998Carabidobius Volgin, 1953Cerophagopsis Zachvatkin, 1941Chibidaria Sasa, 1952Contromelisia Samsinak, 1969Ctenocolletacarus Fain, 1984Diadasiopus OConnor, 1997Dynastopus Fain, 1978Ewingia Pearse, 1929Fainoglyphus S. Mahunka, 1979Forcellinia Oudemans, 1924Ghanacarus Mahunka, 1973Halictacarus Mahunka, 1975Heteroglyphus Foa, 1897Hoogstraalacarus Yunker, 1970Horstiella Türk, 1949Hortacarus S. Mahunka, 1979Hyohondania Sasa, 1952Irianopus Fain, 1986Kanekobia Fain, C. E. Yunker, J. van Goethem & D. E. Johnston, 1982Kargoecius Fain, 1985Konoglyphus Delfinado & Baker, 1974Kuzinia Zachvatkin, 1941Lackerbaueria Zachvatkin, 1941Lamtoglyphus Fain, 1975Lasioacarus Kadzhyaya, 1968Lemmaniella Mahunka, 1977Lindquistia Mahunka, 1977Lowryacarus Fain, 1986Machadoglyphus Mahunka, 1963Madaglyphus Fain, 1971Mahunkaglyphus Eraky, 1998Mahunkallinia Eraky, 1999Mauracarus S. Mahunka, 1978Medeus Volgin, 1974Megachilopus Fain, 1974Mezorhizoglyphus Kadzhaya, 1966Mycetosancassania Klimov, 2000Myrmolichus Türk & Türk, 1957Naiacus H. H. J. Nesbitt, 1990Naiadacarus Fashing, 1974Neoacotyledon K. Samsinak, 1980Neohorstia Zachvatkin, 1941Neotropacarus Baker, 1985Notiopsyllopus Fain, 1977Ocellacarus S. Mahunka, 1979Olafsenia Oudemans, 1927Omentopus Fain, 1978Paraceroglyphus Fain & Beaucournu, 1979Paraforcellinia Kadzhaya, 1974Passaloglyphus Mahunka & Samsinak, 1972Paulacarellus Fain, 1976Pelzneria Scheucher, in Stammer 1957Pinoglyphus S. Mahunka, 1978Psyllacarus Fain, F. Bartholomaeus, B. Cooke & J. C. Beaucournu, 1990Psylloglyphus Fain, 1966Psyllopus Fain & J. C. Beaucournu, 1993Reckiacarus G. Kadzhaya, 1972Rettacarus S. Mahunka, 1979Rhizoglyphoides V. I. Volgin, 1978Rodionovia Zachvatkin, 1941Scatoglyphus Berlese, 1913Schulzea Zachvatkin, 1941Sennertionyx Zachvatkin, 1941Setoglyphus S. Mahunka, 1979Sinolardoglyphus Z. T. Jiang, 1991Sinosuidasia Jiang, 1996Spinacaropus Fain & A. M. Camerik, 1978Terglyphus Samsinak, 1965Thectochloracarus Fain, Engel, Flechtmann & OConnor, 1999Trichopsyllopus Fain & G. T. Baker, 1983Troxocoptes Fain & J. R. Philips, 1983Umakefeq Klimov, 2000Volginia Kadzhaya, 1967