Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature 56

Larva and deutonymph of Promegistus armstrongi Womersley (Acari: Mesostigmata: Trigynaspida: Promegistidae)

Citation

Seeman, O.D. 2012. Larva and deutonymph of Promegistus armstrongi Womersley (Acari: Mesostigmata: Trigynaspida: Promegistidae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature 56(1): 255-269. Brisbane. ISSN 0079-8835. https://doi.org/10.17082/j.2204-1478.56.1.2012-14

Published online

17 February 2012

Peer reviewed

Yes

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17082/j.2204-1478.56.1.2012-14

Keywords

Taxonomy, ontogeny, classification, Antennophorina, Parantennuloidea

Abstract 

Larvae and deutonymphs of Promegistus armstrongi Womersley are described from new material collected from south-east Queensland. Leg chaetotaxy is provided. Unlike other known trigynaspid larvae, those of P. armstrongi are extremely hypotrichous, especially on the opisthosoma, and possess a long trochantal process. Likewise, the deutonymph is unique with poorly defined dorsal and ventral shields, small bare sternal shield, and forked trochantal process. The morphology of the immature stages of P. armstrongi is compared with other immature stages of trigynaspid mites, including the unplaced species Derrickia setosa Womersley (unplaced), which it resembles most. Diagnoses are provided for the immature life stages of Celaenopsoidea, Fedrizzioidea and Megisthanoidea.