Erythraeidae

Taxonomy

Erythraeidae is a family of mites that fall under the Trombidiformes order, specifically the Prostigmata suborder. Erythraeidae falls into the Arachnida class under the arthropod phyla, and is part of the broader animal kingdom. The Prostigmata us a suborder of mites within the Trombidiformes order that contains the “sucking” members of the mite family. Many species of Prostigmata are known as notorious plant pests, but many others live as parasites on different vertebrate species. Certain other members of this family can even prey on small invertebrates, and many alter their food source as they mature.

Body Composition

Erythraeidae have oval shaped bodies, and are typically bright red in color, sometimes with white on the idiosoma dorsum. They are relatively large (1000-2500 μm as adults) and have many small hairs covering their bodies. Their first and fourth pair of legs are especially long & adapted for running. These mites have either one or two pairs of eyes and can be distinguished from similar families by the presence of a single claw on the tibia of the palp.

References

1. Proctor, Heather. 1998. Trombidiformes. Trombidiform mites. Version 09 August 1998. http://tolweb.org/Trombidiformes/2568/1998.08.09 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

2. Proctor, Heather. 1998. Acariformes. The "mite-like" mites. Version 09 August 1998. http://tolweb.org/Acariformes/2563/1998.08.09 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

3. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 127, Issue 2, 1 October 1999, Pages 113–276, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1999.tb00677.x