Eriophyoidea
| Eriophyoidea | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Electron micrograph of Floracarus perrepae attacking a plant | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Subclass: | Acari |
| Order: | Trombidiformes |
| Superfamily: |
Eriophyoidea Nalepa, 1898 |
Eriophyoidea are a superfamily of herbivorous mites. All post-embryonic instars lack the third and fourth pairs of legs. The respiratory system is also absent.
The taxonomy of this group has always been confused. There were families created for few or even one species, i.e. Ashieldophyidae Mohanasundaram, 1984 and Pentasetacidae Shevchenko, 1991 but these families were placed by J. W. Armine and T. A. Stasny within larger groups. Today the following three families are believed to belong to superfamily Eriophyoidea:
The group is ancient, with forms already similar to the modern ones being found in Triassic amber: Ampezzoa and Triasacarus. These two eriophyioideans are the most ancient arthropods ever found in amber.
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