• Corpus ID: 86165757

Phylogeny and system of the Cheyletidae (Acari: Prostigmata) with special reference to their host-parasite associations

@inproceedings{Bochkov2001PhylogenyAS,
  title={Phylogeny and system of the Cheyletidae (Acari: Prostigmata) with special reference to their host-parasite associations},
  author={Andre V Bochkov and Alex Fain},
  year={2001}
}

• A. Bochkov, A. Fain
• Published 2001
• Biology

Summary The reconstruction of the phylogeny of the mite family Cheyletidae (Acari: Prostigmata) was effectuated by a cladistic method with the software PAUP 3.1. Representatives of most of the cheyletid genera have been examined. The predator mites of the family Stigmaeidae were used as outgroup. The analysis was based on 91 morphological characters. The obtained strict consensus tree has included 13 principal clusters and numerous ungrouped genera. Among these ungrouped genera, two genera, Bak and Caudacheles may be recognized as separate groups, since they possess some autapomorphie characters, which clearly separate these mites from the other cheyletids. All the established groups have been considered as tribes and the ungrouped genera have been included in the paraphyletic tribe "Cheyletini". Thus, the family Cheyletidae includes now 15 tribes: Acaropsellini (= Acaropseini) VOUHN, 1969, Bakini VOLGIN, 1969, Chelctogcnini VOLGIN, 1969, Cheletosomatini VOLGIN, 1969, Chelonotini VOLGIN, 1969, Chcyletiini VOLGIN, 1969, Cheyletiellini VOLGIN, 1969, "Cheyletini" LEACH. 1814, Chelelomorphini trib. nov., Criokerontini SMILEY, 1977, Metacheylctiini FAIN, 1980, Niheliini SMILEY, 1977, Ornithocheyletiini VOLGIN, 1969, Tcinocheylini FAIN, 1974 and one unnamed tribe including the genera Caudacheles and Allied. A new hypothesis on the phylogenetic evolution of the Cheyletidae and an analysis of their host-parasite associations are proposed. Parasitism of birds by feather mites and of mammals by skin and pilicolous mites probably started in the nests of their vertebrate hosts (FAIN, 1979f). In the particular case of cheyletid mites the parasitism was probably initiated by predacious mites living in the nests. This transfer of predation to parasitism probably happened repeatedly and at different periods of time. Parasitic associations between cheyletids and vertebrates are more common than the associations between these mites and the invertebrates. In the invertebrates these associations are generally restricted to a phoresy.