Trombidium grandissimum "Giant Red Velvet Mite"
Classification
Domain: Eukarya- Eukarya consists of organisms whose cells
contain
a true nucleus and membrane bound organelles.
Kingdom: Animalia- The animal kingdom is composed of
multi-cellular heterotrophs that do not have a cell wall-allowing for complex
movements.
Phylum: Arthropoda- Organisms in this phylum are distinguished
by their segmented bodies and jointed exoskeleton, such as insects and
spiders.
Class: Arachnida- Spiders, ticks and mites belong in this class.
Characteristics are eight legs as adults, no antennae or wings, and a
combined head and thorax.
Subclass: Acari- This is the division mites and
ticks fall
under. Organisms under this category are typically parasitic at
some stage in their life-cycle. The Giant Red Velvet Mite is
parasitic in its larvae stage.
Superorder: Acariformes- A lineage for the three superorders of
mites, characteristics include body segments added between molts, legs
fo
rmed within the body, and specialized setae that are
sensitive to movement.
Order: Actinedida- Characterized with specialized sense
structures on the back (the velvety appearance aids as sensors), difficulty in detecting
different sexes, and can live in almost any kind of environment.
Suborder: Parasitengona- A characteristic shared by all members
of the suborder Parasitengona is the complex life-cycle that includes
parasitic larva, two inactive stages, a predatory pre-adult stage and
then a predatory adult stage. Click
here for more details of T. grandmissimum's life cycle.
Superfamily: Trombidioidea- Features include: a soft body, the
entire body is covered in short, hair-like structures.
Family: Trombidiidae- This is the family that includes all the
Red Velvet Mites.
Below is cladistic phylogenetic tree based on the molecular structure of
Acariformes modified from Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 56:222-241.
Here is another phylogenetic tree showing where the family of T. grandissimum, Trombidiidae, fits in with related organisms based on molecular structure. The tree was modified from A Cladistic Analysis of Trombididae (Acari: Parasitengona): Congruence of Larval and Adult Character Sets 73:96-103.
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