''Tarsonemus'' is a genus of trombidiform

mites Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

within the family

Tarsonemidae Tarsonemidae is a family of mites, also called thread-footed mites or white mites. Only a limited number of tarsonemid genera ('' Steneotarsonemus'', '' Polyphagotarsonemus'', '' Phytonemus'', '' Floridotarsonemus'' and '' Tarsonemus'') are kno ...

Description

Adult ''Tarsonemus'' can be recognised by (among other features) simple unmodified

setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...

on the dorsal idiosoma, two pairs of setae on the metapodosomal venter, short cheliceral stylets, and a gnathosomal capsule that is not conspicuously beaklike. Females of ''Tarsonemus'' have a pair of clubbed

trichobothria Trichobothria (singular trichobothrium) are elongate setae ("hairs") present in arachnids, various orders of insects, and myriapods that function in the detection of airborne vibrations and currents, and electrical charge. In 1883, Friedrich Dahl ...

on the prodorsum, ambulacrum I developed, the tegula short and rounded, the fourth leg pair clearly longer than the tegula, and the segugal apodeme developed.

Ecology

''Tarsonemus'' mites live in various habitats including soil, litter, both woody and

herbaceous plants Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

, decaying wood, underneath bark (where they are associated with insects), animal nests,

bracket fungi Polypores are a group of fungi that form large fruiting bodies with pores or tubes on the underside (see Delimitation for exceptions). They are a morphological group of basidiomycetes-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi, and not all polypor ...

, stored foods, laboratory cultures and house dust. They are mostly

fungivores 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 ...

and some are economically important pests of commercial mushroom cultures and laboratory fungal cultures. They can sometimes carry fungal spores on their bodies. A few ''Tarsonemus'' species are herbivores (attacking crop or ornamental plants) or feed on exudates of living animals.

Distribution

The genus overall has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

. Additionally, the bee-associated species have been recorded from every zoogeographical region except

Afrotropical The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

Species

There are over 280 ''Tarsonemus'' species described, grouped into the three subgenera of ''Tarsonemus sensu stricto'', ''Chaetotarsonemus'' and ''Schaarschmidtia''. Some of them are: * ''Tarsonemus apis''. Found on honey bees ( ''Apis''). * ''Tarsonemus bahiensis''. Found on leaves of stinking passionflower (''

Passiflora foetida ''Passiflora foetida'' (common names: stinking passionflower, wild maracuja, bush passion fruit, wild water lemon, stoneflower, love-in-a-mist, or running pop) is a species of passion flower that is native to the southwestern United States (south ...

'') and torch ginger (''

Etlingera elatior ''Etlingera elatior'' (also known as torch ginger, ginger flower, red ginger lily, torch lily, wild ginger, ''combrang, bunga kantan'', Philippine wax flower, ගොඩ ඕලු (goda olu), ගොඩ නෙලුම් (goda nelum), සිද් ...

''). * ''Tarsonemus bakeri''. Found on sooty mould in

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

orchards. * ''Tarsonemus blakemorei''. Found on honey bees. * ''Tarsonemus cacao''. Found on branches of cacao tree (''

Theobroma cacao ''Theobroma cacao'', also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small ( tall) evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. The largest pro ...

''). * ''Tarsonemus crassus.'' Found on bark beetles of genus ''

Scolytus ''Scolytus'' is a genus of bark beetles (subfamily Scolytinae). It includes several species notorious for destroying trees in the forests. The Dutch elm disease is spread in North America by two species : the native elm bark beetle, ''Hylurgopinu ...

'' and may help transmit

Dutch elm disease Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by a member of the sac fungi (Ascomycota) affecting elm trees, and is spread by elm bark beetles. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease was accidentally introduced into Americas, America ...

. * ''Tarsonemus floricolus.'' Found in house dust and (in one case) human

sputum Sputum is mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways (the trachea and bronchi). In medicine, sputum samples are usually used for a naked eye examination, microbiological investigation of respiratory infections and cytological investigations ...

. * ''Tarsonemus fusarii''. Found on honey bees and

bumblebees A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...

(''Bombus''). * ''Tarsonemus granarius''. Found in stored grain. * ''Tarsonemus minimax''. Found on honey bees. * ''Tarsonemus parawaitei''. Found on orchard and ornamental plants. * ''Tarsonemus pipermenta''. It is a

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

pest of

peppermint Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a hybrid species of mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world.Euro+Med Plantbas ...

and

spearmint Spearmint, also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is a species of mint, ''Mentha spicata'' (, native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is nat ...

. * ''Tarsonemus platynopodae.'' Found on

carpenter bees Carpenter bees are species in the genus ''Xylocopa'' of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant m ...

(''Xylocopa'').'''' * ''Tarsonemus xylocopae''. Found on carpenter bees.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4357591 Trombidiformes