Cochlodispus minimus is a species of mite from the family Microdispidae, formally described by Sándor Mahunka in 1976.[1] One adult individual was measured with a body length of 79 μm (0.079 mm), making it the smallest known mite species.[2] It was originally described from Ethiopia, along with cogeners C. africanus and C. fimbrisetus, and inhabits soil and litter.[3]
| Cochlodispus minimus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Trombidiformes |
| Family: | Microdispidae |
| Genus: | Cochlodispus |
| Species: | C. minimus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cochlodispus minimus Sándor Mahunka, 1976[1]
| |
Taxonomy
editThe Microdispidae are the least diverse family of pygmephoroid mites, with 20 described genera and about 120 species.[4] Most members of this family are fungivores, although some may be parasitoids of insects.[4] Cochlodispus minimus is one of 11 species currently described from the genus Cochlodispus.[3] It can be distinguished within its genus by the absence of barbs on setae ps2 (a characteristic shared only with C. zanzibariensis) and by the absence of barbs on setae f and on the setae of the anterior sternal plate (both distinctly barbed in C. zanzibariensis).[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Mahunka, S. (1976). "Äethiopische Tarsonemiden (Acari: Tarsonemida). II". Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 22: 69–96.
- ^ Huber, John T.; Noyes, John S. (24 April 2013). "A new genus and species of fairyfly, Tinkerbella nana (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae), with comments on its sister genus Kikiki, and discussion on small size limits in arthropods". Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 32: 17–44. doi:10.3897/jhr.32.4663.
- ^ a b c Khaustov, Alexander A.; Ermilov, Sergey G. (2018). "New species and new records of Microdispidae (Acari: Pygmephoroidea) from Zanzibar, Tanzania". Systematic & Applied Acarology. 23 (10): 1891–1906. doi:10.11158/saa.23.10.2.
- ^ a b Khaustov, Alexander A.; Zelalem, Wondie (2017). "Two new genera of mite family Microdispidae (Acari: Heterostigmata) associated with Macrotermes subhyalinus (Isoptera: Termitidae) from Ethiopia". International Journal of Acarology. 43 (3): 223–231. doi:10.1080/01647954.2016.1253613.