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Fossil mesostigmatid mites (Mesostigmata: Gamasina, Microgyniina, Uropodina), associated with longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Baltic amber

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Abstract

Fossil mesostigmatid mites are extremely rare. Inclusions assignable to the tortoise mites (Mesostigmata, Uropodina) are described here for the first time from Eocene (ca. 44–49 Ma) Baltic amber. This is the oldest record of Uropodina and documents the first unequivocal amber examples potentially assignable to the extant genus Uroobovella Berlese, 1903 (Uropodoidea: Urodinychidae). Further mites in the same amber pieces are tentatively assigned to Microgynioidea (Microgyniina) and Ascidae (Gamasina), both potentially representing the oldest records of their respective superfamily and family groups. This new material also preserves behavioural ecology in the form of phoretic deutonymphs attached to their carriers via a characteristic anal pedicel. These deutonymphs in amber are intimately associated with longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), probably belonging to the extinct species Nothorhina granulicollis Zang, 1905. Modern uropodines have been recorded phoretic on species belonging to several beetle families, including records of living Uroobovella spp. occurring on longhorn beetles. Through these amber inclusions, a uropodine–cerambycid association can now be dated back to at least the Eocene.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Wolfgang Weitschat (Hamburg) for providing material and Christian Neumann (MfN) for curatorial assistance. Johannes Frisch (MfN) helped identify the beetles, Stefan Wirth (MfN) and George Poinar Jr. (Oregon) provided helpful comments and Andreas Stark (Halle (Saale)) and Linnea Blase (Berlin) assisted with preparing the figures. The reviewers are also thanked for their numerous helpful suggestions. JK's visit to the MfN was funded by the European Union's ‘Synthesys’ program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity at the Humboldt University Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany

    Jason A. Dunlop

  2. Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 102, 1525, Budapest, Hungary

    Jenő Kontschán

  3. Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Páter Károly str. 1, 2100, Győr, Hungary

    Jenő Kontschán

  4. Scheiblerstrasse 26, 12437, Berlin, Germany

    Michael Zwanzig

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  1. Jason A. Dunlop
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  2. Jenő Kontschán
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  3. Michael Zwanzig
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Correspondence to Jason A. Dunlop.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Dunlop, J.A., Kontschán, J. & Zwanzig, M. Fossil mesostigmatid mites (Mesostigmata: Gamasina, Microgyniina, Uropodina), associated with longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Baltic amber. Naturwissenschaften 100, 337–344 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1031-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1031-8

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