Insecta, Linnaeus, 1758

Salmane, I. & Brumelis, G., 2010, Species List And Habitat Preference Of Mesostigmata Mites (Acari, Parasitiformes) In Latvia, Acarologia 50 (3), pp. 373-394 : 381

Insecta

A total of 15 (41%) of the 41 species associated with insects were habitat specialists and 7 were generalists ( Table 2, Appendix 1). Alliphis necrophilus (Eviphidae) was recorded for the first time in Latvia (Salmane, 2009), and and with a low number of specimens. Hence, it’s distribution in Latvia is not yet known. Previously, it was collected from Nicrophorus beetles ( Coleoptera : Silphidae ) in Slovakia and Japan ( MašAEn, 1994a, 1999; Takaku et al. 1994). Several species are known to be associated with beetles. Hypoaspis krameri is a well known and specific phoretic mite associate of Oryctes and Lucanidae beetles in Europe ( Bregetova 1977; Karg 1993). Scamaphis equestris was recorded on Geotrupidae beetles in England and Slovakia ( Hyatt, 1956; MašAEn, 1994b), and Scarabaspis inexpectatus is known from soil and animal excrements in Europe ( Karg, 1993). Macrocheles nataliae and M. perglaber have been found in soil, litter, various animal excrements and decaying substrates, and are phoretic on Geotrupidae beetles ( Bregetova, 1977; MašAEn, 2003). Parasitus copridis and P. beta have been recorded from Geotrupidae beetles, soil and excrements in Europe and Asia ( Hyatt, 1980; Karg, 1993). Holostaspis isotricha and Hypoaspis cuneifer in our investigation were found in ant hills, as previously documented in Russia, Ukraine and Europe ( Bregetova, 1977; Karg, 1993; Gwiazdowicz, 2008). Hypoaspis bombicolens , recorded as being phoretic on Psithyrus sp. in Latvia ( Insecta, Apidae ), was found in the nests of bumblebees in Europe and Russia ( Bregetova, 1977; Karg, 1993). Uropoda ocellata was described recently from an Histeridae beetle in Latvia ( KontschAEn and Salmane, 2008). Blattisocius tarsalis was found in bird nests in Slovakia ( Fend’a and Kaloez, 2009) and in insect culture in the laboratory ( Bregetova, 1977).

Poecilochirus necrophori , P. subterraneus , and P. davydovae are typical symbionts of Nicrophorus spp. beetles ( Springett, 1968; Schwarz and Koulianos 1998). In Latvia, Stylochirus fimetarius was observed to be abundant on Carabidae and some other beetles, as recorded in Europe and Asia Minor ( Bregetova, 1977; Lundquist, 1991; Karg, 1993; Makarova, 1995). Microsejus truncicola , Microgynium rectangulatum , and Loboginoides spelaea mites are typical of decaying wood and wood inhabiting beetles ( Bregetova, 1977).