''Paratarsotomus macropalpis'' is a species of mite belonging to the family

Anystidae Anystidae is a family of mites, based on the genus '' Anystis''. The family 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 appro ...

. The mite is endemic to Southern California and is usually observed darting amongst sidewalks and in rocky areas. Earlier classified as belonging to genus '' Tarsotomus'', it was reclassified in 1999, along with four other species, to genus ''Paratarsotomus''. It is quite small—0.7 mm—but has been recorded as the world's fastest land animal relative to body length.

Discovery

A specimen was first collected by William A. Hilton from beneath stones in

Claremont, California Claremont () is a suburban city on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. It is in the Pomona Valley, at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. As of the 2010 census it had a popul ...

. It was classified and named as ''Tarsotomus macropalpis'' by Nathan Banks whose report in 1916 was

Speed record

The mite has been recorded at a speed of 322 body lengths per second (). This is far in excess of the previous record holder, the Australian tiger beetle ''

Cicindela eburneola ''Cicindela'', commonly known as common tiger beetles are generally brightly colored and metallic beetles, often with some sort of patterning of ivory or cream-colored markings. They are most abundant and diverse in habitats very often near bodi ...

'', the fastest insect in the world relative to body size, which has been recorded at or 171 body lengths per second. The cheetah, the fastest land animal, which has been clocked at a peak of , scores at only 16 body lengths per second. High speed photography was used to record the speed of the mite, both in natural conditions and in the laboratory. The equivalent speed for a human running as fast as this mite would be . Besides the unusually great speed of the mites, the researchers were surprised to find the mites running at such speeds on concrete at temperatures up to . This is significant because that temperature is well above the lethal limit for the majority of animal species. In addition, the mites are able to stop and change direction very quickly. The discovery pushes the limits of what is known about the physiology of animal movement and the limits on the speed of living structures. This finding is considered by the research team as opening new possibilities in the design of robots and in

biomimetics Biomimetics or biomimicry is the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. The terms "biomimetics" and "biomimicry" are derived from grc, βίος (''bios''), life, and μίμησ ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16738508 Trombidiformes Endemic fauna of California Taxa named by Nathan Banks Fauna without expected TNC conservation status