Mites associated to ants: a general introduction

Authors: Ochoa, Ronald - Ron; CAMPBELL, KAITLIN - UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA; NAKAMURA, KENDRICK - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND; ROSARIO-LEBRON, AMANDO - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA)

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/10/2020
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: The scale of the association between ants and mites is relatively unknown; in this talk we explore the world of mites and provide perspective on the scale of how unknown these organisms are. The subclass Acari (Mites) are one of the largest groups living in the world. Mites are arachnids and are estimated to contain from 5 to 11 million species, with only 64000 named so far. They have colonized all the different niches that we can find on our planet, from hot springs to the bottom of ocean, from free living to parasites of many organisms. Many mites are considered major pests and can cause economically important damage in plants and animals. Several mite families carry fungi and other pathogens that affect plants and all kind of animals, including other arthropods. Some mites even have the ability to live like symbionts living together in the same habitat with their host. There are more than 12000 species of ants known in the world and they have more than 20 different families of mites associated with them. Research done by Rettenmeyer, Ito, Hirschmann, Mahunka, Moser, Klompen, Okabe, OConnor, Campbell, Lauchaud, Wilson, and others recorded mites in the Uropodidae, Prodinychidae, Polyaspididae, Antennophoridae, Sejidae, Acaridae, Microgynidae, Zerconidae, Histiostimatidae, Dynichidae, Pygmephoridae, Scutacaridae, Microdispidae and Oribatida but who knows how many more could be.