Uropodidae (from Ancient Greek οὐρά (ourá), meaning "tail", and πούς (poús), meaning "foot") is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata.
Description As part of superfamily Uropodoidea, Uropodidae are tortoise-like mites with an oval to circular outline, and with armour both dorsally and ventrally. They can be distinguished from other uropodoids by their chelicerae lacking a large, sclerotized node and their genital opening being in an intercoxal position.
Ecology Several species in the family commonly infest worm bins and consume food intended for the worms.
An undescribed species of Uropodidae sucks out the hemolymph of pupae of Pheidole megacephala ants, resulting in the death of pupae. It preferentially attacks pupae of soldier and male ants.
Uropodidae are phoretic on larger arthropods, meaning that they attach to larger arthropods to be transported to new places. This attachment is achieved using a pedicel of translucent material extruded from the mite's anus. One known host for uropodid mites is the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), though this particular relationship may actually be parasitic, as mite-infested weevils have a shorter lifespan than uninfested weevils.
Species
Afrodinychus Kontschán & Starý, 2013 Afrodinychus africanus Kontschán & Starý, 2013 - Tanzania
Bloszykiella Kontschán, 2010 Bloszykiella africana Kontschán, 2010 - Tanzania Bloszykiella grebennikovi Kontschán & Starý, 2013 - Tanzania Bloszykiella tertia Kontschán & Starý, 2015 - Kenya Bloszykiella ramsteini Kontschán & Ermilov, 2020 - Zimbabwe Bloszykiella lindemanni Kontschán & Ermilov, 2020 - Ruanda
Castriidinychus Hirschmann, 1973 Castriidinychus anguinus Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus baloghi Hirschmann, 1975 - Australia Castriidinychus castrii (Hirschmann, 1972) - Chile Castriidinychus castriisimilis Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus cribrarius (Berlese, 1888) - Paraguay Castriidinychus dentatoides Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus dentatus (Hirschmann, 1972) - Chile Castriidinychus dictyoeides Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus ditrichus (Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1972) - Chile Castriidinychus eupunctatosimilis Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus eupunctatus Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus flavooides Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus flavus Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus kaszabi Hirschmann, 1975 - Australia Castriidinychus longisetosus Dylewska, Błoszyk & Halliday, 2010 - Tasmania Castriidinychus maeandralis Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus mahunkai Hirschmann, 1975 - Australia Castriidinychus marginalis (Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1972) - Chile Castriidinychus neocaledonicus Kontschán, 2013 - New Caledonia Castriidinychus paucistructurus Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus robynae Dylewska, Błoszyk & Halliday, 2010 - Tasmania Castriidinychus similidentatus Hirschmann, 1973 - Chile Castriidinychus tasmanicus Dylewska, Błoszyk & Halliday, 2010 - Tasmania Castriidinychus topali Hirschmann, 1973 - Argentina
Discotrachytes Berlese, 1916 Discotrachytes ehimensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Discotrachytes granata (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) - New Guinea Discotrachytes grandis (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) - Mexico Discotrachytes granosa (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) - New Guinea Discotrachytes orbis (Vitzthum, 1925) - Cameroon Discotrachytes ornata (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) - New Guinea Discotrachytes procera (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) - Mexico Discotrachytes procerasimilis (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) - Mexico Discotrachytes regia (Vitzthum, 1921) - Bolivia Discotrachytes regiasimilis (Hirschmann, 1972) - Brazil Discotrachytes splendidiformis Berlese, 1916 - East Africa Discotrachytes verrucosa (Hiramatsu, 1980) - New Guinea Discotrachytes vanharteni Kontschán, 2020 - Yemen
Foveolaturopoda Hirschmann, 1979 Foveolaturopoda ampla (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) - Panama Foveolaturopoda boliviensis (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) - Bolivia Foveolaturopoda chernobaii (Wiśniewski & Hirschmann, 1992) - Brazil Foveolaturopoda clara (Hiramatsu, 1980) - Bolivia Foveolaturopoda crenulata (Marais & Theron, 1986) - South Africa Foveolaturopoda cubaensis (Hiramatsu, 1980) - Cuba Foveolaturopoda diffusa (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) - Ecuador Foveolaturopoda difoveolata (Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1969) - Brazil Foveolaturopoda difoveolatasimilis (Hirschmann, 1972) - Brazil Foveolaturopoda elegans (Marais & Theron, 1986) - Angola Foveolaturopoda krantzi (Hirschmann, 1975) - Republic of Congo Foveolaturopoda luculenta (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) - Peru Foveolaturopoda luminosa (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1983) - Ecuador Foveolaturopoda nahuelhutaensis (Hirschmann, 1972) - Chile Foveolaturopoda neowoelkei (Hiramatsu, 1980) - Brazil Foveolaturopoda potehefstroomensis (Marais & Theron, 1986) - South Africa Foveolaturopoda quadridentata (Hirschmann, 1973) - Ecuador Foveolaturopoda quadridentatasimilis (Hiramatsu, 1980) - Bolivia Foveolaturopoda ruehmi (Hirschmann, 1972) - Chile Foveolaturopoda schusteri (Hirschmann, 1972) - Brasil Foveolaturopoda tumida (Hiramatsu, 1981) - Vietnam
Gibbauropoda Hirschmann, 1979 Gibbauropoda gibba (Hiramatsu, 1976) - Japan Gibbauropoda hiramatsui (Hirschmann, 1976) - New Guinea Gibbauropoda hiramatsuiformis (Hirschmann, 1976) - New Guinea Gibbauropoda hiramatsuioides (Hirschmann, 1976) - New Guinea Gibbauropoda hiramatsuisimilis (Hirschmann, 1976) - New Guinea Gibbauropoda lauta (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1983) - New Guinea Gibbauropoda matskasii (Hirschmann, 1981) - Vietnam Gibbauropoda meridiana (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) - New Guinea Gibbauropoda setata (Kontschán & Starý, 2011) - Vietnam
Metadinychus Berlese, 1916 Metadinychus andrassyi Hirschmann, 1972 - Argentina, Mexico Metadinychu argasiformis Berlese, 1916 - Brazil, Bolivia Metadinychus daelei Hirschmann, 1981 - Zaire Metadinychus exilis Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979 - Mexico Metadinychus kaszabi Hirschmann, 1972 - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay Metadinychus loksai Hirschmann, 1972 - Paraguay Metadinychus mahunkai Hirschmann, 1972 - Brazil, Paraguay Metadinychus nodosa Hirschmann, 1972 - Brazil Metadinychus pura Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979 - Mexico Metadinychus serrata Hirschmann, 1972 - Paraguay Metadinychus serratasimilis Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1983 - Bolivia Metadinychus similiargasiformis Hirschmann, 1981 - Zaire
Multiporuropoda Hirschmann, 1979 Multiporuropoda efferata (Hiramatsu, 1981) - Ecuador Multiporuropoda multipora (Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1969) - Panama Multiporuropoda stolida (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1978) - Peru Multiporuropoda stolidasimilis (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) - Peru Multiporuropoda ecuadorica (Kontschán, 2012) - Ecuador
Olodiscus Berlese, 1917 Olodiscus crozetensis (Richters, 1907) - Antarktica Olodiscus halberti (Hirschmann, 1993) - Ireland Olodiscus hispanica (Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1969) - Spain Olodiscus kargi (Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1969) - Central Europe Olodiscus minima (Kramer, 1882) - Europe and South America Olodiscus minuscula (Huţu, 1983) - Romania Olodiscus misella (Berlese, 1916) - Europe Olodiscus neuherzi (Hirschmann & Hiramatsu, 1978) - Austria Olodiscus saxonica (Willmann, 1955) - Germany Olodiscus willmanni (Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1969) - Germany Olodiscus zicsii (Hirschmann, 1972) - Chile
Penicillaturopoda Hirschmann, 1979 Penicillaturopoda complicata (Berlese, 1905) - Indonesia, Java Penicillaturopoda garciai (Hirschmann & Hiramatsu, 1990) - Indonesia Penicillaturopoda micherdzinskii (Hirschmann, 1972) - Vietnam Penicillaturopoda penicillata (Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1969) - Panama Penicillaturopoda penicillatasimilis (Hirschmann, 1972) - Brazil
Spinosissuropoda Hirschmann, 1979 Spinosissuropoda alata (Hirschmann, 1981) - Tanzania Spinosissuropoda ancorae (Hirschmann, 1981) - Tanzania Spinosissuropoda ancoraesimilis (Hirschmann, 1981) - Tanzania Spinosissuropoda pocsi (Hirschmann, 1981) - Tanzania Spinosissuropoda solarissima (Hirschmann, 1981) - Tanzania Spinosissuropoda spinossisima (Berlese, 1916) - Tanzania Spinosissuropoda tanzanica Kontschán& Starý, 2013 - Tanzania
Trachycilliba Berlese, 1903 Trachycilliba abanatica (Bal & Özkan, 2007) - Turkey, Greece and Iran Trachycilliba aokii (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Trachycilliba fabiani (Kontschán & Starý, 2013) - Ethiopia Trachycilliba imadatei (Hiramatsu, 1980) - Indonesia Trachycilliba insulana (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Trachycilliba insulanasimilis (Hiramatsu, 1981) - Japan Trachycilliba iriomotensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Trachycilliba ishikawai (Hiramatsu, 1978) - Japan Trachycilliba montana (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Trachycilliba montivaga (Hiramatsu, 1981) - Japan Trachycilliba morikawai (Hiramatsu, 1978) - Japan Trachycilliba novaguinensis (Hiramatsu, 1980) - New Guinea Trachycilliba okumai (Hiramatsu, 1980) - Japan Trachycilliba oshimaensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Trachycilliba persica (Kazemi & Kontschán, 2007) - Iran Trachycilliba permagna (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1979) - USA Trachycilliba porticensis (Berlese, 1903) - Italy Trachycilliba pulcherrima (Berlese, 1903) - Europe Trachycilliba pulverea (Hiramatsu, 1976) - Japan Trachycilliba quadra (Kontschán, Hwang, Jeon & Seo, 2016) - Korea Trachycilliba sasayamaensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Trachycilliba shibai (Hiramatsu, 1980) - Malaysia Trachycilliba shikokuensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Trachycilliba similimorikawai (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Trachycilliba simulans (Berlese, 1905) - Indonesia, Java Trachycilliba splendida (Kramer, 1882) - Japan Trachycilliba terrestrisa (Hiramatsu & Hirschmann, 1977) - Japan Trachycilliba theroni (Hirschmann, 1993) - Tanzania Trachycilliba tropicana (Hiramatsu, 1978) - New Guinea Trachycilliba tropicanasimilis (Hiramatsu, 1981) - New Guinea Trachycilliba tsushimaensis (Hiramatsu, 1980) - Japan Trachycilliba uncenensis (Hiramatsu, 1977) - Japan Trachycilliba vietnamensis (Hiramatsu, 1981) - Vietnam Trachycilliba yakuensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan
Uropoda Latreille, 1806 Centrouropoda almerodai Hiramatsu et Hirschmann, 1992 - Philippines, Europe Centrouropoda rackae Hirschmann, 1975 - Trinidad Centrouropoda rhombogyna (Berlese, 1910) - Indonesia, Java Centrouropoda bahariyaensis Abo-Shnaf & Allam, 2019 - Egypt
Uropolyaspis Berlese, 1904 Uropolyaspis hamulifera (Michael, 1894) - Europe Uropolyaspis similihamulifera (Hiramatsu, 1979) - Japan Uropolyaspis spinosula Kneissl, 1916 - Central Europe
References