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#sclerotized

Stefan F. Wirthstefanfwirth@biologists.social
2026-02-04

A striking #character of adult #mites in #Histiostomatidae (#Astigmata) is a highly #sclerotized area on the upper surface of #proterosoma. Its #latticelike #structure forms a #taxonomically relevant #symmetrical #pattern of windows, for which I introduced a #nomenclature in my PhD thesis. This area is a site of #muscleorigins (see #SEM section through a bigger specimen of #Acaridae).
©#StefanFWirth 2026

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#pics
©S.F. Wirth edit 2026

1-3 SEM cross section through the proterosoma of a larger specimen of Acarus sp. (Acaridae, Astigmata) to show the pattern of muscles for the gnathosoma mobility, the mobility of mouthparts and of the first legs. Acaridae do not have the conspicuous windows-pattern-sclerite in this area, thus this is just a comparative visualisation. I interpret the dorsal sclerite with windows pattern as an evolutionary adaptation to the very small size of Histiostomatidae. 4 section through Histiostoma sp. In the area of legs 1 to show the general relevance of dorso -ventro musculature. © Stefan F. Wirth, this edit 2026Scientific drawing of the proterosoma shield of Histiostoma palustre Wirth, 2003. It is based on a SEM with top-down perspective to the shield, introducing a taxonomically useful nomenclature for the symmetrical pattern of "windows", © Stefan F. Wirth, this edit 2026Adult female Mite Histiostoma sp. (Histiostoma feroniarum complex) from rotting lemons in Italy feeding on a mixture of dying fungus and bacteria, with its conspicuous proterosoma sclerite with lattice-like pattern of windows in side-view, © Stefan F. Wirth, 2006, thus edit 2026, Berlin

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