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 (organ for receiving and storing sperm) and its morphology is important for distinguishing species.
Habitat Schwiebea have been collected from various habitats including vegetation (clover roots, a verbena field, peony rose, Gerbera roots, yams, taro seeds), leaf litter, peat moss, caves, insect rearing containers and even some aquatic environments (fish farms, aquariums, swimming pools). 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, 1979 Schwiebea aksuensis Bugrov, 1995 Schwiebea aquatilis Fain, 1982 Schwiebea armata (Mahunka, 1979) Schwiebea capitata (Mahunka, 1979) Schwiebea cavernicola Vitzthum, 1932 Schwiebea cavicola Mahunka, 1978 Schwiebea cepa Karg, 1987 Schwiebea codognoensis Fain & Pagani, 1989 Schwiebea coniferae (Sevastianov & Tamam-Nasem-Marros, 1993) Schwiebea cuncta Ho, 1993 Schwiebea danielopoli Fain, 1982 Schwiebea elongata (Banks, 1906) Schwiebea estradai Fain & Ferrando, 1991 Schwiebea eurynymphae (Oudemans, 1911) Schwiebea hibernica Purvis & Evans, 1982 Schwiebea italica Oudemans, 1924 Schwiebea jiangxiensis Jiang, 1995 Schwiebea koerneri Turk & Turk, 1957 Schwiebea kurilensis Bugrov, 1995 Schwiebea laphriae (Samsinak, 1956) Schwiebea longibursata Fain & Wauthy, 1979 Schwiebea montana Bugrov, 1995 Schwiebea neomycolicha Klimov, 1998 Schwiebea nesbitti Turk & Turk, 1957 Schwiebea nova (Oudemans, 1906) Schwiebea obesa Fain & Fauvel, 1988 Schwiebea piceae Bugrov, 1995 Schwiebea podicis (Ashfaq & Chaudhri, 1986) Schwiebea ruienensis Fain & Wauthy, 1979 Schwiebea sakhalinensis Bugrov, 1995 Schwiebea similis (Manson, 1972) Schwiebea subterranea Fain, 1982 Schwiebea taiwanensis Ho, 1993 Schwiebea talpa Oudemans, 1916 Schwiebea tuzkoliensis Bugrov, 1995 Schwiebea ulmi Jacot, 1936 Schwiebea zhangzhouensis Lin-Zhonghua & Lin-Baoshu, 2000
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