snout mites

(Family Bdellidae)

Overview  •  Description  •  Distribution  •  Taxonomy

Overview

Bdellidae is a family of mites called snout mites. It occurs worldwide on all continents except Antarctica. There are at least 278 recognized species in 14 genera in 5 subfamilies worldwide, at least 42 species in North America excluding Florida, and at least 1 species in Minnesota. They are found in a wide variety of habitats, including on plants, in leaf litter, on intertidal rocks, in caves, and in nests of rodents and birds.

Snout mites prey on other small arthropods, including mites, springtails, small insects, and roundworms. They produce silk from modified salivary glands which they use to immobilize prey and to create a molting chamber by folding over and securing one side of a leaf at the base. They also use the silk as a drag line.
 
snout mite (Family Bdellidae)
Photo by Alfredo Colon
 
Description

Snout mites are medium-sized to large sized, soft-bodied predators. Some are relatively large and easily seen without magnification.

Like other mites, snout mites have no head. On most species there are two pairs of eyes on the prodorsal region, and there is often another single, unpaired, median eye. The mouthparts are greatly elongated and snout-like. This is the feature that gives the family its common name. The finger-like sensory mouthparts (palps) are very long and are and elbowed. They have two long tactile hairs (setae) at the tip.
Distribution

Distribution Map

  

Sources

24, 29, 30, 82.
10/17/2024    
Taxonomy

Class

Arachnida (arachnids)

Subclass

Acari (mites and ticks)

Superorder

Acariformes (mites)

Order

Trombidiformes

Suborder

Prostigmata (prostigs)

Infraorder

Eupodina

Superfamily

Bdelloidea (bdelloid mites)
   

Subordinate Taxa

Subfamily Bdellinae

Subfamily Cytinae

Subfamily Spinibdellinae

Subfamily Polytrichinae

Subfamily Odontoscirinae

   

Synonyms

 
   

Common Names

snout mites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Palp

Short for pedipalp. A segmented, finger-like process of an arthropod; one is attached to each maxilla and two are attached to the labium. They function as sense organs in spiders and insects, and as weapons in scorpions. Plural: palpi or palps.

 

 

 

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Alfredo Colon
snout mite (Family Bdellidae)  

snout mite (Family Bdellidae)
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Slideshows

Bdellidae
Lloyd Davies
Bdellidae
About

Bdellidae Snout Mites

Prostigmata/Bdellidae
Christophe Quintin
Prostigmata/Bdellidae

 

slideshow

 

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Other Videos

Snout mite (Bdellidae)
Neville Park
About

Mar 18, 2021

A tiny snout mite (Bdellidae) on a rock. Its pointy snout seemed to be able to wriggle back and forth to some extent.

These mites are predators of other small arthropods.

 

Camcorder

 

Visitor Sightings
 

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Alfredo Colon
6/11/2024

Location: Albany, NY

 snout mite (Family Bdellidae)
Alfredo Colon
5/30 to 6/1/2021

Location: Woodbury, MN

 snout mite (Family Bdellidae)
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Created: 11/24/2021

Last Updated:

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