Belongs within: Oripodoidea.
Contains: Perscheloribates (Perscheloribates), Scheloribates (Scheloribates), Scheloribates (Topobates).
The Scheloribatidae are a diverse family of oribatid mites with the octotaxic system commonly developed as sacculi, and immovable pteromorphs usually present. The Tongan species Planobates circumalatus has a single pair of setae on the genital plates; other genera have three to five pairs. The notogastral setae are often reduced with only the setal alveoli visible; in the African genus Similobates, a single pair p2 remains developed. Similobates also has five pairs of genital setae. The rostrum bears a pair of incisions in Rhabdoribates siamensis and Euscheloribates subgenus Nanobates (Balogh & Balogh 1992). Members of the genus Scheloribates are among the most abundant mites in soil and litter, including in anthropogenic habitats (Norton & Behan-Pelletier 2009).
On Scheloribates
Published 1 May 2017
Over the years, I’ve put up several posts about the diversity of oribatid mites. It’s time for another one.
One of the largest genera of oribatids out there is the genus Scheloribates, for which well over 200 species have been described. Their distribution is pretty much worldwide; they are found in a range of microhabitats, such as in leaf litter, in pastures or marshes, or among rocks. Distinguishing features of the genus from other oribatids include well-developed, immobile pteromorphs, tridactylous (three-clawed) legs, and a notogaster with ten pairs of setae and three pairs of sacculi (little sac-shaped glandular openings) (Ermilov & Anichkin 2014).
Considering their abundance in soil habitats, Scheloribates probably have a significant role to play in decomposition and nutrient cycling. Studies on the diet of one of the better-known species, S. laevigatus, have found that it will eat almost any type of vegetable or fungal matter, though its preferred diet is microscopic algae (Hubert et al. 1999). Indeed, they are most abundant in damper habitats that would provide good conditions for the growth of such algae.
Scheloribates species may impact on human lives in other ways too. They are an intermediate host for the larvae of anoplocephalid tapeworms that infect livestock when the mites are accidentally ingested during grazing. S. laevigatus is a known host for at least eight tapeworm species in North America. Rates of tapeworm infestation in Scheloribates can be quite high; over 60% of the individuals of one species at a particular locality in Australia were infected (Lee & Pajak 1990). Scheloribates species are also noteworthy as a likely source of the toxic alkaloids found in the skin of arrow-poison frogs. The alkaloids are likely to be synthesised by the mites (as suggested by their presence in adults but not in juveniles, despite no known difference in diet between the two life stages) and then sequestered by the frogs after they eat the mites (Saporito et al. 2011). And if they eat enough mites, they end up becoming dangerous even to something the size of a human.
Systematics of Scheloribatidae
Characters (from Norton & Behan-Pelletier 2009): Length 200-650 µm. Prodorsum with prolamella often present; sublamella present; tutorium and pleural carinae absent. Prodorsum curving over gnathosoma, covering chelicerae dorsally; rostrum rounded. Chelicerae with two setae. Bothridium inserted anterior to notogastral margin. Distal eupathidia on palptarsus in same plane. Notogaster with 2-4 pairs of porose areas or saccules. Pteromorphs or humeral projections usually present. Posterior notogastral tectum absent. Sternal furrow extending from genital plates anteriorly on coxisternum often present. 1-4 pairs of genital setae. Pedotectum II present. Femora III-IV each with one porose area; solenidion σ present on genu III.
<==Scheloribatidae [Parapirnodidae, Scheloribatinae, Scheloribatini] |--Planobates Hammer 1973S04 | `--*P. circumalatus Hammer 1973S04 |--Rhabdoribates Aoki 1967S04 | `--*R. siamensis Aoki 1967S04 |--Fissurobates Balogh & Mahunka 1969S04 | `--*F. spectabilis Balogh & Mahunka 1969S04 |--Striatobates Hammer 1973S04 | `--*S. tuberculatus Hammer 1973S04 |--Samoabates Hammer 1973S04 | `--*S. acutirostrum Hammer 1973S04 |--Scheloribatoides Mahunka 1988S04 | `--*S. lamellatus Mahunka 1988S04 |--Pachygena Hammer 1972S04 | `--*P. falcata Hammer 1972S04 |--Coronibatula Mahunka 1988S04 | `--*C. lienhardi Mahunka 1988S04 |--Cosmobates Balogh 1959S04 | `--*C. tunicatus Balogh 1959S04 |--Pontiobates Luxton 1989S04 | `--*P. denigratus Luxton 1989S04 |--Similobates Mahunka 1982S04 | |--*S. demetororum Mahunka 1982S04 | `--S. deficiens (Wallwork 1977) [=Scheloribates deficiens]S04 |--Aellenobates Mahunka 1978S04 | |--*A. cryptacus Mahunka 1978 [=Grandjeanobates cryptacus]EA14 | `--A. sculpturatus Mahunka 1988 [=Grandjeanobates sculpturatus]EA14 |--Nannerlia Coetzer 1968S04 | |--*N. longiqua Coetzer 1968S04 | |--N. bombretensis Hammer 1977S04 | `--M. elongatissima Mahunka 1984S04 |--Annobonzetes Pérez-Íñigo 1983S04 | |--*A. sphaericus Pérez-Íñigo 1983S04 | |--A. latissimus (Berlese 1916) [=Podoribates latissimus]S04 | `--A. latus (Warburton 1912) [=Oribata lata]S04 |--Gerloubia Coetzer 1968 [incl. Fuerteventuria Pérez-Íñigo & Peña 1996]S04 | |--*G. bicuspidata (Hammer 1958) [=Eporibatula bicuspidata]S04 | |--G. chinensis Aoki & Yamamoto 2000S04 | `--G. hispanica Subías 1977 (see below for synonymy)S04 |--Fijibates Hammer 1971S04 | |--*F. rostratus Hammer 1971S04 | |--F. aelleni (Mahunka 1988) [=Scheloribates aelleni]S04 | |--F. anterostratus Corpuz-Raros 1980S04 | `--F. dlouhyi (Mahunka 1984) [=Scheloribates dlouhyi]S04 |--Parapirnodus Balogh & Mahunka 1968NB-P09, S04 | |--*P. longus Balogh & Mahunka 1968S04 | |--P. coniferinus Behan-Pelletier, Clayton & Humble 2001S04 | |--P. denaius (Woolley 1971) [=Eremaeus denaius]NP93 | |--P. hexaporosus Behan-Pelletier, Clayton & Humble 2001S04 | `--P. prosopis Martínez, Fernández & Monetti 1996S04 |--Perscheloribates Hammer 1973S04 | |--P. (Perscheloribates)S04 | |--P. (Makischeloribates Corpuz-Raros 1980)S04 | | `--P. (*M.) tripartitus (Corpuz-Raros 1980) [=*Makischeloribates tripartitus]S04 | `--P. (Oxyscheloribates Balogh & Balogh 1990)S04 | `--P. (*O.) aculeatus (Hammer 1961) [=Scheloribates aculeatus]S04 |--Hammerabates Balogh 1970 [incl. Otaheitea Hammer 1972, Yoronoribates Aoki 1987]S04 | |--*H. trisetosus Balogh 1970S04 | |--H. elongatus Tseng 1984S04 | |--H. minusculus (Aoki 1987)S04 [=*Yoronoribates minusculusBB92] | |--H. nasalis Mahunka 1983S04 | |--H. rotundus Mahunka 1983S04 | `--H. sulcatus (Hammer 1972)S04 [=*Otaheites sulcataBB92] |--Megascheloribates Lee & Pajak 1990LP90 | |--*M. microsetosus Lee & Pajak 1990CH98, LP90 [=Scheloribates microsetosusS04; incl. M. pajaki Balogh & Balogh 2002S04] | |--M. anzacensis (Hammer 1967) [=Scheloribates anzacensis]LP90 | |--M. calcaratus Lee & Pajak 1990LP90 (see below for synonymy) | |--‘Scheloribates’ iteratus Subías 2004S04 (see below for synonymy) | |--M. maximus (Balogh 1962)LP90 | `--M. rostrodentatus (Hammer 1977) [=Scheloribates rostrodentatus]LP90 |--Muliercula Coetzer 1968S04 | |--*M. muliercula Coetzer 1968S04 | |--M. bilineata Mahunka 1986S04 | |--M. discrepans (Balogh 1959) [=Scheloribates discrepans]S04 | |--M. inexpectata Badejo, Woas & Beck 2002S04 | |--M. longisacculus (Mahunka 1984) [=Incabates longisacculus]S04 | |--M. ngoyensis Coetzer 1968S04 | `--M. spora Coetzer 1968S04 |--Euscheloribates Kunst 1958S04 | |--E. (Euscheloribates) [incl. Corynobates Balogh & Balogh 1992, Tribates Mahunka 1978]S04 | | |--*E. (E.) samsinaki Kunst 1958S04 | | |--E. (E.) clavisetus Mahunka 1988S04 [=*Corynobates clavisetusBB92] | | |--E. (E.) cryptus (Mahunka 1978) [=Tribates cryptus]S04 | | |--E. (E.) mixtus (Mahunka 1978)S04 [=*Tribates mixtusBB92] | | `--E. (E.) pembertoni (Jacot 1934) [=Protoschelobates pembertoni]S04 | `--E. (Nanobates Balogh & Balogh 1984)S04 | |--E. (*N.) fenicheli (Balogh 1970) [=Birobates fenicheli]S04 | `--E. (N.) clavatus (Mahunka 1988) [=Nanobates clavatus]S04 |--Scheloribates Berlese 1908S04 | | i. s.: S. areatus Sellnick 1931S93 | | S. azumaensisNB-P09 | | S. durhami (Woolley 1971) [=Liebstadia durhami]NP93 | | S. madrasensisH01 | | S. maximus Balogh 1962B62 | | S. setatus Sellnick 1931S93 | |--S. (Scheloribates)S04 | |--S. (Grandjeanobates Ramsay 1967)EA14 | | |--S. (*G.) novazelandicus Hammer 1967 [=*Grandjeanobates novazelandicus]EA14 | | `--‘Grandjeanobates’ australis Ramsay 1967S04 | `--S. (Topobates)EA14 `--Dometorina Grandjean 1951NB-P09, S04 [incl. Cryptozetes Hammer 1962S04] |--*D. plantivaga (Berlese 1895)S04 [=Oribatula plantivagaS04, Notaspis plantivagaM98, O. (Hemileius) plantivagaB16] | |--D. p. plantivagaS04 | |--D. p. brasiliana Pérez-Íñigo & Pérez-Íñigo 1993S04 | |--D. p. insularis Travé 1969S04 | `--D. p. saxicola Grandjean 1951S04 |--D. chilensis (Hammer 1962)S04 [=*Cryptozetes chilensisBB92] |--D. crystallina Tseng 1984S04 |--D. elongata Balogh & Csiszár 1963S04 |--D. inflata (Berlese 1916) [=Oribatula (Hemileius) inflata]S04 |--D. lata Mahunka 1986S04 |--D. limpida Tseng 1984S04 |--D. marionensis Pletzen & Kok 1971S04 |--D. praedatoria Wu, Xin & Aoki 1986S04 |--D. rostrata Luxton 1993S04 |--D. sicata Mahunka 1983S04 |--D. suramericana (Hammer 1958)S07 |--D. taiwanica Tseng 1984S04 |--D. tropica (Balogh 1958) [=Hemileius tropicus]S04 |--D. tuberculata Aoki 1984S04 `--D. usnea (Norton & Palacios-Vargas 1987) [=Cryptozetes usnea]S04
Gerloubia hispanica Subías 1977 [incl. Liebstadia ahumerata Mahunka 1987, Fuerteventuria mirabilis Pérez-Íñigo & Peña 1996]S04
Megascheloribates calcaratus Lee & Pajak 1990 nec Scheloribates fimbriatus calcaratus Jacot 1934 nec S. calcaratus Wallwork 1977 (not preoc. if in dif. gen.)LP90 [=Scheloribates praeoccupatus Subías 2004S04]
‘Scheloribates’ iteratus Subías 2004S04 [=S. microclava Balogh 1962 non Hammer 1961S04, Megascehloribates microclavaLP90]
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[B62] Balogh, J. 1962. Mission zoologique de l’I.R.S.A.C. en Afrique orientale. (P. Basilewsky et N. Leleup, 1957). LXXV. Acari Oribates. Annales du Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale: Sciences Zoologiques 110: 90–131.
[BB92] Balogh, J., & P. Balogh. 1992. The Oribatid Mites Genera of the World vol. 1. Hungarian Natural History Museum: Budapest.
[B16] Berlese, A. 1916. Centuria terza di Acari nuovi. Redia 12: 289–338.
[CH98] Colloff, M. J., & R. B. Halliday. 1998. Oribatid Mites: A catalogue of Australian genera and species. CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood.
[EA14] Ermilov, S. G., & A. E. Anichkin. 2014. A new species of Scheloribates (Scheloribates) from Vietnam, with notes on taxonomic status of some taxa in Scheloribatidae (Acari, Oribatida). International Journal of Acarology 40 (1): 109–116.
[H01] Haq, M. A. 2001. Potential oribatid mite vectors of cestode parasites in Kerala, India. In: Halliday, R. B., D. E. Walter, H. C. Proctor, R. A. Norton & M. J. Colloff (eds) Acarology: Proceedings of the 10th International Congress pp. 569–575. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.
[LP90] Lee, D. C., & G. A. Pajak. 1990. Scheloribates Berlese and Megascheloribates gen. nov. from southeastern Australia, with comments on Scheloribatidae (Acarida: Cryptostigmata: Oriopodoidea). Invertebrate Taxonomy 4: 205–246.
[M98] Michael, A. D. 1898. Oribatidae. In: H. Lohmann (ed.) Das Tierreich. Eine Zusammenstellung und Kennzeichnung der rezenten Tierformen vol. 3. Acarina pp. 1–93. R. Friedländer und Sohn: Berlin.
[NB-P09] Norton, R. A., & V. M. Behan-Pelletier. 2009. Suborder Oribatida. In: Krantz, G. W., & D. E. Walter (eds) A Manual of Acarology 3rd ed. pp. 430–564. Texas Tech University Press.
[NP93] Norton, R. A., & G. O. Poinar. 1993. Reassessment and new records of oribatid mite fossils from Tertiary Neotropical amber. Acarologia 34 (1): 57–68.
Robert, J., V. Šostr & J. Smrž. 1999. Feeding of the oribatid mite Scheloribates laevigatus (Acari: Oribatida) in laboratory experiments. Pedobiologia 43: 328–339.
Saporito, R. A., R. A. Norton, N. R. Andriamaharavo, H. M. Garraffo & T. F. Spande. 2011. Alkaloids in the mite Scheloribates laevigatus: further alkaloids common to oribatid mites and poison frogs. Journal of Chemical Ecology 37: 213–218.
[S07] Schatz, H. 2007. Biogeography of oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica and Panama. In: Morales-Malacara, J. B., V. M. Behan-Pelletier, E. Ueckermann, T. M. Pérez, E. G. Estrada-Venegas & M. Badii (eds) Acarology XI: Proceedings of the International Congress pp. 151–167. Instituto de Biología and Faculdad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sociedad Latinoamericana de Acarología: México.
[S93] Selden, P. A. 1993. Arthropoda (Aglaspidida, Pycnogonida and Chelicerata). In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 297–320. Chapman & Hall: London.
[S04] Subías, L. S. 2004. Listado sistemático, sinonímico y biogeográfico de los ácaros oribátidos (Acariformes, Oribatida) del mundo (1758–2002). Graellsia 60 (número extraordinario): 3–305.