Glaesacarus rhombeus
| Glaesacarus rhombeus | ||||||||||||
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Glaesacarus rhombeus in Baltic amber (image width approx. 1.5 mm) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Glaesacarus rhombeus | ||||||||||||
| ( Koch & Berendt , 1854) |
Glaesacarus rhombeus ( Syn . : Acarus rhombeus Koch & Berendt , 1854) is a species of mite in the extinct, monotypical family Glaesacaridae . It is also the oldest known representative of the suborder Astigmata . Fossil evidence of this type can be found in large numbers as inclusions in the Upper Ocene Baltic amber from various deposits.
The female mites of this species have an organ on the hysterosoma , the purpose of which was apparently to hold the male in place during the act of mating. This interpretation is supported by an inclusion in Baltic amber, which shows a pair of mites in copula. In modern mites of this order, this anatomical feature is only known from males.
literature
- Ekaterina A. Sidorchuk & Pavel B. Klimov: Redescription of Acarus rhombeus Koch & Berendt, 1854 (Acari: Astigmata: Glaesacarus, Glaesacaridae gen. Et fam. Nov.) From Baltic amber (Upper Eocene): evidence for female-controlled mating. In: Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 9 (2): 183-196. 2011. ( [1] full text, English.)
- Carsten Gröhn: Inclusions in Baltic amber. Kiel / Hamburg 2015.