Eupodoidea is a superfamily of mites in the order

Trombidiformes The Trombidiformes are a large, diverse order of mites. Taxonomy In 1998, Trombidiformes was divided into the Sphaerolichida and the Prostigmata. The group has few synapomorphies by which it can be defined, unlike the other major group of aca ...

. There are about 8 families and more than 160 described species in Eupodoidea.

Description

Eupodoids are soft-bodied mites that are red, red and black, white or yellow in colour. They can be recognised by the small epivertical lobe on the propodosoma and rhagidial organs on the tarsi of the first two leg pairs.

Ecology

Eupodoids occur in temperate

grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...

, deserts (both hot and cold), alpine regions and polar regions (including

tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless moun ...

). Less commonly, they can be found in marshes and heavily wooded areas (including

rainforests Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...

). The superfamily includes

fungivorous Fungivory or mycophagy is the process of organisms consuming fungi. Many different organisms have been recorded to gain their energy from consuming fungi, including birds, mammals, insects, plants, amoebas, gastropods, nematodes, bacteria and othe ...

, phytophagous and

predatory Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

species. For example, Cocceupodidae and Eupodidae are fungivorous, Penthaleidae are phytophagous (and include some crop pests) and Rhagidiidae are fast-moving predators of small arthropods.

Families

These eight families belong to the superfamily Eupodoidea: *

Cocceupodidae Cocceupodidae is a family of mites in the order Trombidiformes The Trombidiformes are a large, diverse order of mites. Taxonomy In 1998, Trombidiformes was divided into the Sphaerolichida and the Prostigmata. The group has few synapomorphi ...

Eriorhynchidae Eriorhynchidae is a Family (biology), family in the order Trombidiformes Species description, described by Qin & Halliday, 1997. There have been Observation, observations along the Eastern states of Australia, East Coast of Australia. Genus Erio ...

Eupodidae Eupodidae is a family in the order Trombidiformes. There are at least two genera and three described species in Eupodidae. Genera * '' Claveupodes'' * ''Eupodes ''Eupodes'' is a genus of mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthr ...

* Pentapalpidae *

Penthaleidae Penthaleidae, also referred to as earth mites, are a family of mites that are major winter pests of a variety of crops and pastures in southern Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, soverei ...

(earth mites) * Penthalodidae *

Rhagidiidae Rhagidiidae is a family of prostig mites in the order Trombidiformes The Trombidiformes are a large, diverse order of mites. Taxonomy In 1998, Trombidiformes was divided into the Sphaerolichida and the Prostigmata. The group has few synapo ...

* Strandtmanniidae

Description

Ecology

Families

References

Further reading