Abstract
The Pterygosomatidae are ectoparasitic on reptiles. The species belonging to Geckobia and Pterygosoma genera are strongly modified: the body shape is rounded or wider than long, the posterior legs are strong and larger than legs II and legs I, the ventral setae may he scale like (Geckobia genus). This study reviews the state of our understanding of the adaptive values of these apomorphies. The characteristics can he related to the development of physical forces, avoiding stripping from the host and improvements in fixing. These hypotheses have to be related to the remarkable convergence of body shape and peripheral setae observed on some mesostigmatid mites parasitic on snakes and a tick described from giant tortoises.
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Bertrand, M. (2002). Morphologic adaptations to parasitism on reptiles: Pterygosomatidae (Prostigmata: Raphignathina). In: Bernini, F., Nannelli, R., Nuzzaci, G., de Lillo, E. (eds) Acarid Phylogeny and Evolution: Adaptation in Mites and Ticks. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0611-7_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0611-7_24
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