Tarsonemidae

__NOTOC__Taxobox
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Chelicerata
classis = Arachnida
subclassis = Acari
superordo = Acariformes

ordo = Prostigmata
subordo = Eleutherengona
unranked_familia = Heterostigmata
superfamilia = Tarsonemoidea
familia = Tarsonemidae
familia_authority = Kramer, 1877
diversity_link = Tarsonemidae
diversity = 45 genera, > 500 species

Tarsonemidae is a family of mites, also called thread-footed mites or white mites.

Only a limited number of tarsonemid genera ("Steneotarsonemeus", "Polyphagotarsonemus", "Phytonemus", "Floridotarsonemus" and "Tarsonemus") are known to feed on higher plants while most species in this family feed on the thin-walled mycelia of fungi or possibly algal bodiesJeppson (1975)Fact|date=January 2008] . Even among the plant-feeding tarsonemid mites, most are confined to areas of new growth where cell walls are thin and therefore easily pierced. However two species (broad mite "Polyphagotarsonemus latus" and cyclamen mite "Steneotarsonemus pallidus") are able to feed on older leaves because of their ability to inject toxins during feeding (presumably of salivary gland origin) causing an increase of thin walled cells surrounding feeding sites. This proliferation of new growth often results in leaves that appear stunted, puckered and twisted.

elected genera

* "Acarapis"
* "Floridotarsonemus"
* "Phytonemus"
* "Polyphagotarsonemus"
* "Steneotarsonemeus"
* "Tarsonemus"

Control

While little pest management research has been done on the majority of tarsonemid species, comprehensive studies have been made into the biological and chemical control of the cyclamen mite and the broad mite. Chemical trials demonstrated that endosulfan and dicofol consistently reduced densities of "P. latus" and "S. pallidus" [Sterk "et al." (1997)Fact|date=January 2008, Rai "et al." (2004)Fact|date=January 2008] , and planting stock can be effectively decontaminated through fumigation with methyl bromide or 1,2-dibromoethane. Three entomogenous fungi, "Beauveria bassiana", "Metarhizium anisopliae", and "Paecilomyces fumosoroseus", can effectively manage broad mite infestations, with "B. bassiana" providing the greatest reduction [Nugroho (2004)Fact|date=January 2008] . Predatory phytoseiid mites, in the genus "Neoseiulus", can also successfully control "P. latus" and "S. pallidus" under greenhouse and field conditions [Croft "et al." (1998)Fact|date=January 2008, Weintraub "et al." (2003)Fact|date=January 2008] .

Footnotes

References

*'s Biology Catalog: [http://insects.tamu.edu/research/collection/hallan/Acari/Family/Tarsonemidae.txt Tarsonemidae]

External Links

* [http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/orn/cyclamen_mite.htm cyclamen mite, "Phytonemus pallidus"] on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site