''Tarsonemus'' is a genus of trombidiform mites 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. ...

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 poly ...

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

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'') 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 trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

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 pr ...

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

Scolytus ''Scolytus'' is a genus of bark beetle A bark beetle is the common name for the subfamily of beetles Scolytinae. Previously, this was considered a distinct family (Scolytidae), but is now understood to be a specialized clade of the "true wee ...

'' 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. * ''Tarsonemus fusarii''. Found on honey bees and bumblebees (''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 e ...

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 Plantba ...

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

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4357591 Trombidiformes