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 (e.g. soil, litter, animal nests, decomposing plant material) and artificial (e.g. human dwellings, granaries, greenhouses, plant nurseries) 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 (riding phoretically on live beetles and feeding on dead 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 (subcortical) 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 (riding an animal which is itself riding a third animal) 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 (except for the T. formicetorum lineage), 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 (in attempts to feed) or via contact allergens.

There are also Acaridae which are pests of living plants. These include the genus Rhizoglyphus (pests of plants with bulbs) and the species T. longior (pest of some ornamental plants).

Genera

Fagacarinae Fain & R. A. Norton, 1979 Fagacarus Fain & R. A. Norton, 1979

Acarinae Nesbitt, 1945 Acarus Linnaeus, 1758 Aleuroglyphus Zachvatkin, 1940 Ebertia Oudemans, 1924 Podoglyphus Oudemans, 1937 Tyrolichus Oudemans, 1924 Tyroglyphites Pampaloni, 1902 Tyrophagus Oudemans, 1924

Rhizoglyphinae Zakhvatkin, 1941 Acarotalpa Volgin, 1966 Acotyledon Oudemans, 1903 Caloglyphus Berlese, 1923 Cosmoglyphus Oudemans, 1932 Froriepia Vitzthum, 1919 Garsaultia Oudemans, 1916 Histiogaster Berlese, 1883 Horstia Oudemans, 1905 Mycetoglyphus Oudemans, 1932 Myrmoglyphus Vitzthum, 1935 Rhizoglyphus Claparédè, 1869 Sancassania Oudemans, 1916 Schwiebea Oudemans, 1916 Stereoglyphus Berlese, 1923 Thyreophagus Rondani, 1874 Troglocoptes Fain, 1966 Valmontia Oudemans, 1923 Viedebanttia Oudemans, 1929

Pontoppidaniinae Oudemans, 1925 Diphtheroglyphus Nesbitt, 1950 Pontoppidania Oudemans, 1923

Incertae sedis Aellenella S. Mahunka, 1978 Apiacarus Volgin, 1974 Amphicalvolia Türk, 1963 Armacarus S. Mahunka, 1979 Askinasia Yunker, 1970 Australhypopus Fain & Friend, 1984 Baloghella Mahunka, 1963 Bembidioglyphus Klimov, 1998 Boletacarus V. I. Volgin & S. V. Mironov, 1980 Boletoglyphus Volgin, 1953 Bromeliaglyphus H. H. J. Nesbitt, 1985 Calvoliella Samsinak, 1969 Calvoliopsis Mahunka, 1973 Capillaroglyphus Klimov, 1998 Carabidobius Volgin, 1953 Cerophagopsis Zachvatkin, 1941 Chibidaria Sasa, 1952 Contromelisia Samsinak, 1969 Ctenocolletacarus Fain, 1984 Diadasiopus OConnor, 1997 Dynastopus Fain, 1978 Ewingia Pearse, 1929 Fainoglyphus S. Mahunka, 1979 Forcellinia Oudemans, 1924 Ghanacarus Mahunka, 1973 Halictacarus Mahunka, 1975 Heteroglyphus Foa, 1897 Hoogstraalacarus Yunker, 1970 Horstiella Türk, 1949 Hortacarus S. Mahunka, 1979 Hyohondania Sasa, 1952 Irianopus Fain, 1986 Kanekobia Fain, C. E. Yunker, J. van Goethem & D. E. Johnston, 1982 Kargoecius Fain, 1985 Konoglyphus Delfinado & Baker, 1974 Kuzinia Zachvatkin, 1941 Lackerbaueria Zachvatkin, 1941 Lamtoglyphus Fain, 1975 Lasioacarus Kadzhyaya, 1968 Lemmaniella Mahunka, 1977 Lindquistia Mahunka, 1977 Lowryacarus Fain, 1986 Machadoglyphus Mahunka, 1963 Madaglyphus Fain, 1971 Mahunkaglyphus Eraky, 1998 Mahunkallinia Eraky, 1999 Mauracarus S. Mahunka, 1978 Medeus Volgin, 1974 Megachilopus Fain, 1974 Mezorhizoglyphus Kadzhaya, 1966 Mycetosancassania Klimov, 2000 Myrmolichus Türk & Türk, 1957 Naiacus H. H. J. Nesbitt, 1990 Naiadacarus Fashing, 1974 Neoacotyledon K. Samsinak, 1980 Neohorstia Zachvatkin, 1941 Neotropacarus Baker, 1985 Notiopsyllopus Fain, 1977 Ocellacarus S. Mahunka, 1979 Olafsenia Oudemans, 1927 Omentopus Fain, 1978 Paraceroglyphus Fain & Beaucournu, 1979 Paraforcellinia Kadzhaya, 1974 Passaloglyphus Mahunka & Samsinak, 1972 Paulacarellus Fain, 1976 Pelzneria Scheucher, in Stammer 1957 Pinoglyphus S. Mahunka, 1978 Psyllacarus Fain, F. Bartholomaeus, B. Cooke & J. C. Beaucournu, 1990 Psylloglyphus Fain, 1966 Psyllopus Fain & J. C. Beaucournu, 1993 Reckiacarus G. Kadzhaya, 1972 Rettacarus S. Mahunka, 1979 Rhizoglyphoides V. I. Volgin, 1978 Rodionovia Zachvatkin, 1941 Scatoglyphus Berlese, 1913 Schulzea Zachvatkin, 1941 Sennertionyx Zachvatkin, 1941 Setoglyphus S. Mahunka, 1979 Sinolardoglyphus Z. T. Jiang, 1991 Sinosuidasia Jiang, 1996 Spinacaropus Fain & A. M. Camerik, 1978 Terglyphus Samsinak, 1965 Thectochloracarus Fain, Engel, Flechtmann & OConnor, 1999 Trichopsyllopus Fain & G. T. Baker, 1983 Troxocoptes Fain & J. R. Philips, 1983 Umakefeq Klimov, 2000 Volginia Kadzhaya, 1967

References

External links

Stuart M. Bennett (2003): Acarus siro (Flour Mite)