Laelapidae
The Laelapidae are a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. The family is also referred to in the literature as Laelaptidae, which may be the correct spelling.
Description
Laelapidae have a shield covering all or most of the dorsal surface. Ventrally, there is a sternal shield with 3 pairs of setae, a tongue- or flask-shaped genital shield with usually at least 1 pair of setae, and a small anal shield with 3 circumanal setae. The peritremes are typically long and the peritrematal shields often narrow.
Ecology
Laelapidae is the most ecologically diverse group of Mesostigmata. As of 2012, there were ten laelapid genera known to be free-living predators in soil, thirty-five that are ectoparasites on mammals and forty-three have species associated with arthropods. Laelapidae are the only family in superfamily Dermanyssoidea to include free-living predators.
Among the arthropod-associated laelapids are taxa associated with bees. Raymentia are associated with Lasioglossum sweat bees and may be pollen-feeders, Neohypoaspis are predators on astigmatid mites in stingless bee nests, Pneumolaelaps feed on pollen and nectar in bumblebee nests, Melittiphis alvearius feeds on pollen in European honeybee nests and Tropilaelaps are obligatory parasites of honeybees.
Other arthropod-associated laelapids include species of Hypoaspis sensu lato associated with burrowing cockroaches and Julolaelaps moseri which was collected from a millipede of family Spirostreptidae.
Biological control
Several species of Laelapidae are used commercially as biological control agents of pests, and others are being studied for the same purpose. Examples include Gaeolaelaps aculeifer and Stratiolaelaps scimitus, used to control various pests in soil, and pests of mushrooms and poultry.
Genera
Aetholaelaps Strandtmann & Camin, 1956Alphalaelaps Radford, 1951Andreacarus Radford, 1953Androlaelaps Berlese, 1903Angosomaspis Costa, 1971Atricholaelaps Ewing, 1929Austrolaelaps Womersley, 1956Berlesia G.Canestrini, 1884Bewsiella Domrow, 1958Bisternalis Hunter, 1963Blaberolaelaps M. Costa, 1980Bolivilaelaps Fonseca, 1940Camerolaelaps Fonseca, 1960Cavilaelaps Fonseca, 1935Cerambylaelaps M.Costa, 1979Chalaza R. Domrow, 1990Chamolaelaps Hull, in F.Türk & S.Türk 1952Chapalania Hoffmann & Lopez-Campos, 1995Chelanyssus Zumpt & Till, 1953Chirolaelaps Heath, Bishop & Daniel, 1987Chrysochlorolaelaps Evans & Till, 1966Coleolaelaps Berlese, 1914Conolaelaps Womersley, 1959Cosmiphis Vitzthum, 1926Cyclolaelaps Ewing, 1933Cyclothorax von Frauenfeld, 1868Cypholaelaps Berlese, 1916Dianolaelaps Y. M. Gu & Q. X. Duan, 1990Dicrocheles Krantz & Khot, 1962Dinogamasus Kramer, 1898Dipolaelaps Zemskaya & Piontkovskaya, 1960Domrownyssus Evans & Till, 1966Donia Oudemans, 1939Dynastaspis Costa, 1971Dynatochela Keegan, 1950Dyscinetonyssus Moss & Funk, 1965Echinolaelaps Ewing, 1929Echinonyssus Hirst, 1925Ellsworthia Türk, 1945Eubrachylaelaps Ewing, 1929Eugynolaelaps Berlese, 1918Eumellitiphis Türk, 1948Euvarroa Delfinado & Baker, 1974Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till, 1966Gammaridacarus Canaris, 1962Garmania Nesbitt, 1951Gecarcinolaelaps Casanueva, 1993Geneiadolaelaps Ewing, 1929Gigantolaelaps Fonseca, 1939Gopriphis Berlese, 1910Halbertia Türk & Türk, 1952Hunteracarus Costa, 1975Hunteria Delfinado-Baker, Baker & Flechtmann, 1984Hyletastes Gistel, 1848Hymenolaelaps Furman, 1972Hypoaspis G.Canestrini, 1884Ichoronyssus Kolenati, 1858Iphiolaelaps Womersley, 1956Iphiopsis Berlese, 1882Jacobsonia Berlese, 1910Japanoasternolaelaps Hirschmann & Hiramatsu, 1984Jordensia Oudemans, 1937Julolaelaps Berlese, 1916Laelantennus Berlese, 1903Laelaps C.L.Koch, 1836Laelapsella Womersley, 1955Laelapsoides Willmann, 1952Laelaspoides Eickwort, 1966Laelaspulus Berlese, 1903Ligialaelaps Radford, 1942Liponysella Hirst, 1925Ljunghia Oudemans, 1932Longolaelaps Vitzthum, 1926Lucanaspis Costa, 1971Lukoschus Radovsky & Gettinger, 1999Mabuyonyssus Till, 1957Macrolaelaps Ewing, 1929Manisilaelaps Lavoipierre, 1956Meliponaspis Vitzthum, 1930Melittiphis Berlese, 1918Melittiphisoides Delfinado-Baker, Baker & Flechtmann, 1984Mesolaelaps Hirst, 1926Metaspinolaelaps Till, 1958Mungosicola Radford, 1942Myonyssoides Hirst, 1925Myonyssus Tiraboschi, 1904Myrmeciphis Hull, 1923Myrmolaelaps Trägårdh, 1906Myrmosleichus Berlese, 1903Myrmozercon Berlese, 1902Mysolaelaps Fonseca, 1935Nakhoda Domrow & Nadchatram, 1975Narceolaelaps J. B. Kethley, 1978Neoberlesia Berlese, 1892Neohypoaspis Delfinado-Baker, Baker & Roubik, 1983Neolaelaps Hirst, 1926Neoparalaelaps Fonseca, 1935Neospinolaelaps Zumpt & Patterson, 1952Notolaelaps Womersley, 1957Oloiphis Berlese, 1916Ondatralaelaps Evans & Till, 1965Ornitholaelaps Okereke, 1968Oryctolaelaps Lange, in Bregetova et al., 1955Parabisternalis Ueckermann & Loots, 1995Peramelaelaps Womersley, 1956Phytojacobsonia Vitzthum, 1925Pililaelaps Radford, 1947Pleisiolaelaps Womersley, 1957Pneumolaelaps Berlese, 1920Podolaelaps Berlese, 1888Praeparasitus Berlese, 1916Promacrolaelaps Costa, 1971Pseudolaelaps Berlese, 1916Pseudoparasitus Oudemans, 1902Qinghailaelaps Gu & Yang, 1984Radfordilaelaps Zumpt, 1949Raymentia Womersley, 1956Reticulolaelaps Costa, 1968Rhinolaelaps Fonseca, 1960Rhodacantha R. Domrow, 1979Rhyzolaelaps Bregetova & Grokhovskaya, 1961Scissuralaelaps Womersley, 1945Scolopendracarus Evans, 1955Scorpionyssus Fain & G. Rack, 1988Sinolaelaps Gu & Wang, 1979Sphaeroseius Berlese, 1904Stamfordia Trägårdh, 1906Steptolaelaps Furman, 1955Sternolaelaps Zumpt & Patterson, 1951Stevelus Hunter, 1963Stigmatolaelaps Krantz, 1998Stratiolaelaps Berlese, 1916Tengilaelaps Gu & Wang, 1996Tricholaelaps Vitzthum, 1926Tropilaelaps Delfinado & Baker, 1961Tur Baker & Wharton, 1952Turkiella Zumpt & Till, 1953Tylolaelaps Gu & Wang, 1979Ugandolaelaps Radford, 1942Uroiphis Berlese, 1903Urozercon Berlese, 1901Varroa Oudemans, 1904Xylocolaelaps Royce & Krantz, 2003Zontia Türk, 1948Zygolaelaps Tipton, 1957