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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #432417
Research Project: Systematics and Biology of Acari and Hemiptera of Agricultural Importance: Plant Pests, Predators, and Disease Vectors

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: New phoresy records of Blattisociidae and Podocinidae mites on crane flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) from the Florida Keys

Author
item HRIBAR, L - Florida Keys Mosquito Control District
item FAUCETT, STEPHANIE - Florida Keys Mosquito Control District
item GELHAUS, JON - Drexel University
item TASSI, ALINE DANIELE - University Of Florida
item WELBOURN, W - Smithsonian Institute
item Ochoa, Ronald

Submitted to: Entomological News
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2026
Publication Date: 4/1/2026
Citation: Hribar, L.J., Faucett, S., Gelhaus, J., Tassi, A., Welbourn, W.C., Ochoa, R. 2026. New phoresy records of Blattisociidae and Podocinidae mites on crane flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) from the Florida Keys. Entomological News. 133(3):228-233. https://doi.org/10.3157/021.133.0303.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3157/021.133.0303

Interpretive Summary: This article reports on new records of mites associated with crane flies. While there are many observations of mites on crane flies very few have been identified to even the family level. This reports names two mite families associated with two families of crane flies. Adult crane flies are generally innocuous, only one genus is reported as a pest. However, their larvae are important for healthy soil ecosystems and are a valuable food resource for many mammals, insects, spiders, birds, amphibians and fish. This increases our knowledge of mite-fly relationships in a little known area and highlights the usefulness of mosquito detection systems in the discovery of new arthropod associations.

Technical Abstract: New records for mites phoretic on crane flies (Limoniidae) are presented. An undescribed species of Cheiroseius (Blattisociidae) was found on Rhipidia schwarzi, and an undescribed species of Podocinum (Podocinidae) was found on Gonomyia pleuralis. A total of 34 mites were collected. These records contribute to the limited documentation of Mesostigmata phoresy on crane flies and expand the known host associations for both mite taxa.