Schwiebea
Schwiebea is a genus of mites in the family Acaridae. It is among the largest in the family with over 60 species.
Description
Adults of Schwiebea are distinguished from other mites by: the absence of many setae, the reduction of supracoxal seta of leg I to a tiny spine, and the absence of Grandjean's organ. Additionally, the propodosomal sclerite has a posterior indentation/incision for up to 50% of its length. Females have a spermatheca and its morphology is important for distinguishing species.
Habitat
Schwiebea have been collected from various habitats including vegetation, leaf litter, peat moss, caves, insect rearing containers and even some aquatic environments. Some species attach phoretically to arthropods such as bark beetles, millipedes and ticks.
Reproduction
Some species of Schwiebea are all-female and reproduce by parthenogenesis, while others use sexual reproduction. Parthenogenesis is thought to have evolved at least three times within the genus.
Pest status
One species, S. similis, is a pest of American ginseng in China. A scientific study found it can also feed on other crops to varying extents, including garlic, potato and Chinese yam.
Species
Schwiebea afroaustralis Mahunka, 1979Schwiebea aksuensis Bugrov, 1995Schwiebea aquatilis Fain, 1982Schwiebea armata Schwiebea capitata Schwiebea cavernicola Vitzthum, 1932Schwiebea cavicola Mahunka, 1978Schwiebea cepa Karg, 1987Schwiebea codognoensis Fain & Pagani, 1989Schwiebea coniferae Schwiebea cuncta Ho, 1993Schwiebea danielopoli Fain, 1982Schwiebea elongata Schwiebea estradai Fain & Ferrando, 1991Schwiebea eurynymphae Schwiebea hibernica Purvis & Evans, 1982Schwiebea italica Oudemans, 1924Schwiebea jiangxiensis Jiang, 1995Schwiebea koerneri Turk & Turk, 1957Schwiebea kurilensis Bugrov, 1995Schwiebea laphriae Schwiebea longibursata Fain & Wauthy, 1979Schwiebea montana Bugrov, 1995Schwiebea neomycolicha Klimov, 1998Schwiebea nesbitti Turk & Turk, 1957Schwiebea nova Schwiebea obesa Fain & Fauvel, 1988Schwiebea piceae Bugrov, 1995Schwiebea podicis Schwiebea ruienensis Fain & Wauthy, 1979Schwiebea sakhalinensis Bugrov, 1995Schwiebea similis Schwiebea subterranea Fain, 1982Schwiebea taiwanensis Ho, 1993Schwiebea talpa Oudemans, 1916Schwiebea tuzkoliensis Bugrov, 1995Schwiebea ulmi Jacot, 1936Schwiebea zhangzhouensis Lin-Zhonghua & Lin-Baoshu, 2000