A review of Cunaxidae (Acariformes, Trombidiformes): Histories and diagnoses of subfamilies and genera, keys to world species, and some new locality records

Abstract

Cunaxidae are predaceous mites found in a variety of habitats. This work provides comprehensive keys to world subfamilies, genera, and species. Diagnoses and historical reviews are provided for subfamilies and genera.Cunaxa boneti, C. denmarki, C. exoterica, C. floridanus, C. lehmanae, C. lukoschusi, C. metzi, C. myabunderensis, C newyorkensis, C. rackae, C. reevesi, and C. reticulatus are moved to Rubroscirus and C. otiosus, C. valentis, and C. rasile are returned to Rubroscirus. Cunaxoides neopectinatus is moved to Pulaeus. Neocunaxoides pradhani and N. gilbertoi are transferred to Scutopalus. Pulaeus minutus and P. subterraneus are moved to Lupaeus. Pseudobonzia bakari, P. malookensis, and P. shamshadi are transferred to Neobonzia. Dactyloscirus bifidus is transferred to Armascirus.Scirula papillata is reported from the Western Hemisphere for the first time. Armascirus ozarkensis, A. primigenius, and Dactyloscirus dolichosetosus are reported from new localities.

Prostigmata (Acari: Trombidiformes) as Biological Control Agents

“…Cunaxidae have been found on every continent except Antarctica (Skvarla et al 2014 ). They are generalist predators of arthropods and nematodes (Moore et al 1988 ;Walter and Kaplan 1991 ;Walter and Proctor 2013 ;Gerson et al 2003 ).…”

First record of the family Cunaxidae (Acari: Trombidiformes) from Syria with description of a new species

“…Mites were removed from leaves using the "dipping-checkingwashing-filtering" method (Boller, 1984), mounted on slides in Hoyer's medium and dried in an oven at 45°C for three days. Mites were identified using keys to world subfamilies, genera, and species proposed by Skvarla et al (2014) and specimens were compared with original descriptions or redescriptions of corresponding or related species.…”

“…The following abbreviations are used for leg chaetotaxy: sts: simple tactile seta; dtsl: dorsoterminal solenidion; tsl: terminal solenidion on tarsi I-III; T: trichobothrium; asl: attenuate solenidion; bsl: blunt rod-like solenidion; bbsl: bulbous solenidion; fam: famulus (= peg organ), (Sergeyenko, 2009;Skvarla et al, 2011Skvarla et al, , 2014. Setae in brackets indicate duplex or triplex.…”

“…Cunaxidae family includes more than 400 species (Skvarla et al, 2014). Members of this family are fast-running, red, brown or yellow generalist predators and several species have been reported to feed on phytophagous mites, small insects [i.e.…”

“…The genus Cunaxa Von Heyden includes the highest number of species in the Cunaxidae with a total of fifty species known from all continents, except for Antarctica (Skvarla et al, 2014). Two Cunaxa species were found during surveys on citrus orchards in Syria (see Barbar, 2013Barbar, , 2014.…”