Gyuris, Enikő

Kontschán, J.

Opuscula Zoologica

University of Debrecen Electronic Archive

 
Opusc. Zool. Budapest, 2010, 41(2): 241–243 
 
 
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
1Dr. Jenő Kontschán, Systematic Zoology Research Group of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and Department of Zoology, 
Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1088 Budapest, Baross u. 13. Hungary. E-mail: kontscha@nhmus.hu 
2Enikő Gyuris, Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University 
of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary. E-mail: eniko.gyuris@gmail.com 
Hemipteroseius adleri Costa, 1968 collected on red firebug: 
the first record of the family Otopheidomenidae Treat, 1955 
(Acari: Mesostigmata) in Hungary 
 
 
J. KONTSCHÁN1 and E. GYURIS2 
 
 
Abstract. The parasitic mite Hemipteroseius adleri Costa, 1968 was collected on red firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus (Linnaeus, 
1758) for the first time in Hungary. Short description and drawings of the specimens are presented. 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
he family Otopheidomenidae Treat, 1955 is a 
characteristic group of phytoseioid mites. All 
stages of its species are parasites of insects in the 
tropical and temperate regions throughout the 
world (Lindquist et al., 2009). The family is di-
vided into three subfamilies on the basis of the 
host preferences: Otopheidomeninae Treat, 1955 
species are parasites of butterflies and moths, 
Treatiinae Wainstein, 1972 species are parasites 
of heteropterans and Katydiseiinae Fain & Luko-
schus, 1983 are mainly parasites of termites (Le-
wandowski & Szafranek, 2005).  
 
The genus Hemipteroseius Evans, 1963 be-
longs to the subfamily Treatiinae, species of this 
genus are distributed in Central America, Central 
Africa, India, Oceania, Middle East and Europe 
(Lewandowski & Szafranek, 2005). Only one spe-
cies of them (Hemipteroseius adleri Costa, 1968) 
is known from Europe (Poland and Lithuania (Le-
wandowski & Szafranek, 2005, Chmielewski 
2006) and from the Middle East (Israel) (Costa 
1968). This species is associated to a very com-
mon bug species, the red firebug [Pyrrhocoris 
apterus (Linnaeus, 1758)]. 
 
MATERIAL AND METHODS 
 
Specimens were cleared in lactic acid, mount-
ed in lactic acid and gelatin mixture and stored on  
 
 
slides. Drawings were made with the aid of a 
drawing tube. Specimens examined are deposited 
in the Collections of Soil Zoology of the Hungari-
an Natural History Museum. Measurements are 
given in micrometers (µm), width of idiosoma 
was taken at the level of the coxae IV.  
 
RESULTS 
 
Hemipteroseius adleri Costa, 1968 
(Figs. 1–7) 
 
Hemipterus adleri Costa 1968: 1–10. Figs 1–13. 
Hemipteroseius adleri: Lewandowski & Szafranek 2005: 
251–257; Chmielewski 2006: 157-161, Figs. 1–4. 
Material examined. Two females. Hungary, 
Debrecen, Egyetem tér, from red firebugs, leg. 
Enikő Gyuris, 05.V.2010. 
Short description. Idiosoma oval, approxima-
tely 380–390 µm long and 230–235 µm wide. 
Dorsal idiosoma (Fig. 1). Holodorsal shield 
divided into podonotal and opistonotal plates. Po-
donotal plate with nine pairs of needle-like setae 
(cca. 20–25 µm) and one pair of lateral incisions. 
Opistonotal plate with one pair of very short setae 
(J5, cca. 4–5 µm), one pair of very long setae (S5) 
(45–50 µm) with bulbiform tip (Fig. 2) and with 
other three setae cca. 20–25 µm (one seta lack-
ing).  
T 
 
Kontschán & Gyuris: First record of Otopheidomenidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) in Hungary 
 
 
 242
  
 
Figures 1–7. Hemipteroseius adleri Costa, 1968, female. 1 = Dorsal plates, 2 = S5 seta, 3 = intercoxal region, 4 = anal shield, 
5 = peritreme, 6 = spermatheca, 7 = ventral view of gnathosoma. (Scale bar: a: 100 mµ, b: 50 µm) 
 
Ventral idiosoma (Fig 3–4). Sternal shield 
bearing only one pair of setae, two other pairs of 
setae placed on membranous cuticle near coxae II. 
Genital shield hatchet shaped, with one pair of se-
tae. Shape of anal shield oval, with one pair of 
setae near  anterior margin  and one pair of adanal  
setae and one postanal seta. Peritremes short (Fig. 
5). Investigated part of spermatheca rounded (Fig. 
6) it opens between coxae III and IV.  
Gnathosoma (Fig. 7). Hypostomal setae smooth. 
Movable digit of chelicerae bidentate.  
 
 
 
Kontschán & Gyuris: First record of Otopheidomenidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) in Hungary 
 
 
 243
DISSCUSSION 
 
In the description of the species, Sellnick 
(1968) mentioned the variations of the dorsal 
chaetotaxy. Additional setae or lacking setae can 
often be observed on the opistonotal plate, hence 
the lacking opisthonotal setae of our specimens is 
not an extraordinary phenomenon of this species. 
Hemipteroseius adleri have previously been 
recorded only from Israel, Poland and Lithuania. 
However, H. adleri is perhaps distributed in all 
the regions where its host species occurs. 
Chmielewski (2006) mentioned the number of 
the live parasite mites per host insect varied from 
single adults to several dozen. In addition, Lewan-
dowski and Szafranek (2005) gave the maximum 
number of found specimens on a host (124 indi-
viduals). We found only two specimens on a 
firebug, but according to our assumption more 
mite specimens can be found on other host spe-
cimens. The parasitic mites were located on the 
abdomen, under the wings, mostly near the wing 
base and anterior abdominal tergites; Chmielew-
ski (2006) named it as “acarinarium” (our spe-
cimens were found on the same area of the host’s 
body). Lewandowski and Szafranek (2005) found 
the mite specimens on the same locations, but 
they recorded some females also from the ventral 
side of thorax.  
 
Acknowledgements – This research was supported by 
the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA 72744 and 
OTKA K75696). We are grateful to Nóra Jánosik for her 
extensive help. 
REFERENCES 
COSTA, M. (1968): Notes on the genus Hemipteroseius 
Evans (Acari: Mesostigmata) with the description 
of a new species from Israel. Journal of Natural 
History, 2: 1–15. 
CHMIELEWSKI, W. (2006): Occurrence of Hemiptero-
seius adleri (Acari: Mesostigmata: Otopheidomeni-
dae) infesting Pyrrhocoris apterus (Insecta: Hete-
roptera: Pyrrhocoridae) in Puławy and other lo-
calities in Poland and Lithuania. Biological Letters, 
43(2): 157–161. 
LINDQUIST E. E., KRANTZ, G.W. & WALTER, D. E. 
(2009): Order Mesostigmata. In: Krantz G. W. & 
Walter, D.E. (eds). A manual of acarology. Third 
edition. USA, Texas University Press, p. 124–232.  
LEWANDOWSKI, M. & SZAFRANEK, P. (2005): Ecto-
parasitic mite Hemipteroseius adleri (Acari: Oto-
pheidomenidae) on the red firebug Pyrrhocoris 
apterus (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae). Experimental 
and Applied Acarology, 35: 251–257. 
 
 
 


Hemipteroseius adleri Costa, 1968 collected on red firebug: the first record of the family Otopheidomenidae Treat, 1955 (Acari: Mesostigmata) in Hungary

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Hemipteroseius adleri Costa, 1968 collected on red firebug: the first record of the family Otopheidomenidae Treat, 1955 (Acari: Mesostigmata) in Hungary

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