Antennoseius
Antennoseius is a genus of mites in the family Ascidae. As of 2021, it comprised 59 species mostly in subgenera Antennoseius and Vitzthumia, as well as six species not assigned to a subgenus.
Description
Females of Antennoseius have two distinct shields on their dorsal surface. On the ventral surface, there is a sternal shield, an epigynial shield that is rounded posteriorly, and either an anal shield or a subtriangular ventrianal shield.The two subgenera can be distinguished by the presence or absence of ambulacra and claws on the first leg pair. Additionally, some species of Vitzthumia have two distinct morphs, a free-living morph and a phoretic morph. The free-living morph has much of its soft body cuticle with microtubercles superimposed on striae and on the shields. The phoretic morph has generally smooth cuticle, and its sternal shield may be eroded posteriorly so that st3 is on soft cuticle instead of the shield.
Males are known for only a few species. In the male of Antennoseius ''perseus'', the two dorsal shields are partially fused together, ventrally there is a sterno-genital shield and a ventrianal shield, and each chelicera bears a spermatodactyl, among other differences.
Ecology
Antennoseius occur in soil, plant litter, salt marshes, moss, and nests of various animals.Adult females of this genus often attach phoretically to ground beetles for transport.
Diet has been studied for only a few species, but these mainly feed on small invertebrates including other mites, nematodes and insects.