Typification of the Economically Important Species <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) Used for the Industrial Production of Predatory Mites: The Designation of a Neotype with Detailed Morphological and DNA Sequence Data
The mite <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> is a cosmopolitan species of significant economic importance in biocontrol applications, serving as a factitious prey for the mass rearing of predatory mites. This species has been reported from a variety of habitats. However, the taxonomic relia...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Pavel B. Klimov Vasiliy B. Kolesnikov Alexander A. Khaustov Vladimir A. Khaustov Jonas Merckx Marcus V. A. Duarte Dominiek Vangansbeke Ilse Geudens Almir Pepato |
| author_facet | Pavel B. Klimov Vasiliy B. Kolesnikov Alexander A. Khaustov Vladimir A. Khaustov Jonas Merckx Marcus V. A. Duarte Dominiek Vangansbeke Ilse Geudens Almir Pepato |
| author_sort | Pavel B. Klimov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The mite <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> is a cosmopolitan species of significant economic importance in biocontrol applications, serving as a factitious prey for the mass rearing of predatory mites. This species has been reported from a variety of habitats. However, the taxonomic reliability of its name is questionable due to inconsistencies in historical species identifications, the absence of type specimens, and misidentified GenBank sequences. Here, to address these issues and to standardize the nomenclature, we redescribe <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> based on a commercial culture with known COX1 barcoding sequence data and designate a neotype from this culture. As part of delimiting the species boundaries of <i>Th. entomophagus</i>, the question of whether this species forms heteromorphic deutonymphs is particularly important. While the literature suggests that most populations lack them, at least one population in Germany has been reported to produce heteromorphic deutonymphs. However, after careful examination, we identified this population as a new species, <i>Thyreophagus holda</i>, indicating that previous identifications of this population as <i>Th. entomophagus</i> were incorrect. The absence of the heteromorphic deutonymphal stage is a beneficial trait for mass production, as it simplifies the life cycle by eliminating the energetically costly heteromorphic deutonymph. Our preliminary molecular phylogenetic analyses of <i>Th. entomophagus</i> and other species of <i>Thyreophagus</i> indicate that the loss of heteromorphic deutonymphs and the emergence of asexual reproduction (another beneficial trait for mass production) are derived traits that arose after the divergence of the most recent common ancestor of <i>Thyreophagus</i>. These insights enhance our understanding of the evolutionary traits that increase the effectiveness of <i>Th. entomophagus</i> and related species in biocontrol settings. Our study points to the need for additional bioprospecting efforts to identify new candidate species for biocontrol that possess both asexual reproduction and the absence of heteromorphic deutonymphs. |
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| issn | 2076-2615 |
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| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-506adf6f9a3b4d9ea5d1dd09d59c82612025-08-20T02:48:06ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-01-0115335710.3390/ani15030357Typification of the Economically Important Species <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) Used for the Industrial Production of Predatory Mites: The Designation of a Neotype with Detailed Morphological and DNA Sequence DataPavel B. Klimov0Vasiliy B. Kolesnikov1Alexander A. Khaustov2Vladimir A. Khaustov3Jonas Merckx4Marcus V. A. Duarte5Dominiek Vangansbeke6Ilse Geudens7Almir Pepato8Lilly Hall of Life Sciences, Purdue University, G-225, 915 W State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USAX-Bio Institute, Tyumen State University, 10 Semakova Str., 625003 Tyumen, RussiaX-Bio Institute, Tyumen State University, 10 Semakova Str., 625003 Tyumen, RussiaX-Bio Institute, Tyumen State University, 10 Semakova Str., 625003 Tyumen, RussiaBiobest Sustainable Crop Management, R&D, 2260 Westerlo, BelgiumBiobest Sustainable Crop Management, R&D, 2260 Westerlo, BelgiumBiobest Sustainable Crop Management, R&D, 2260 Westerlo, BelgiumBiobest Sustainable Crop Management, R&D, 2260 Westerlo, BelgiumLaboratório de Sistemática eEvolução de Ácaros Acariformes, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, BrazilThe mite <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> is a cosmopolitan species of significant economic importance in biocontrol applications, serving as a factitious prey for the mass rearing of predatory mites. This species has been reported from a variety of habitats. However, the taxonomic reliability of its name is questionable due to inconsistencies in historical species identifications, the absence of type specimens, and misidentified GenBank sequences. Here, to address these issues and to standardize the nomenclature, we redescribe <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> based on a commercial culture with known COX1 barcoding sequence data and designate a neotype from this culture. As part of delimiting the species boundaries of <i>Th. entomophagus</i>, the question of whether this species forms heteromorphic deutonymphs is particularly important. While the literature suggests that most populations lack them, at least one population in Germany has been reported to produce heteromorphic deutonymphs. However, after careful examination, we identified this population as a new species, <i>Thyreophagus holda</i>, indicating that previous identifications of this population as <i>Th. entomophagus</i> were incorrect. The absence of the heteromorphic deutonymphal stage is a beneficial trait for mass production, as it simplifies the life cycle by eliminating the energetically costly heteromorphic deutonymph. Our preliminary molecular phylogenetic analyses of <i>Th. entomophagus</i> and other species of <i>Thyreophagus</i> indicate that the loss of heteromorphic deutonymphs and the emergence of asexual reproduction (another beneficial trait for mass production) are derived traits that arose after the divergence of the most recent common ancestor of <i>Thyreophagus</i>. These insights enhance our understanding of the evolutionary traits that increase the effectiveness of <i>Th. entomophagus</i> and related species in biocontrol settings. Our study points to the need for additional bioprospecting efforts to identify new candidate species for biocontrol that possess both asexual reproduction and the absence of heteromorphic deutonymphs.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/3/357astigmatid mitesprey mitespredatory mitesmorphologyredescriptionlaboratory culture |
| spellingShingle | Pavel B. Klimov Vasiliy B. Kolesnikov Alexander A. Khaustov Vladimir A. Khaustov Jonas Merckx Marcus V. A. Duarte Dominiek Vangansbeke Ilse Geudens Almir Pepato Typification of the Economically Important Species <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) Used for the Industrial Production of Predatory Mites: The Designation of a Neotype with Detailed Morphological and DNA Sequence Data Animals astigmatid mites prey mites predatory mites morphology redescription laboratory culture |
| title | Typification of the Economically Important Species <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) Used for the Industrial Production of Predatory Mites: The Designation of a Neotype with Detailed Morphological and DNA Sequence Data |
| title_full | Typification of the Economically Important Species <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) Used for the Industrial Production of Predatory Mites: The Designation of a Neotype with Detailed Morphological and DNA Sequence Data |
| title_fullStr | Typification of the Economically Important Species <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) Used for the Industrial Production of Predatory Mites: The Designation of a Neotype with Detailed Morphological and DNA Sequence Data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Typification of the Economically Important Species <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) Used for the Industrial Production of Predatory Mites: The Designation of a Neotype with Detailed Morphological and DNA Sequence Data |
| title_short | Typification of the Economically Important Species <i>Thyreophagus entomophagus</i> (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) Used for the Industrial Production of Predatory Mites: The Designation of a Neotype with Detailed Morphological and DNA Sequence Data |
| title_sort | typification of the economically important species i thyreophagus entomophagus i acari astigmata acaridae used for the industrial production of predatory mites the designation of a neotype with detailed morphological and dna sequence data |
| topic | astigmatid mites prey mites predatory mites morphology redescription laboratory culture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/3/357 |
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