Poecilochirus is a Holarctic genus of mites in the family Parasitidae.[1] They are relatively large (ca. 0.5-1mm[2]) and often found on rotting corpses, where they are transported by beetles.[3][4] Deuteronymphs are characterized by two orange dorsal shields and in many species a transverse band on the sternal shield. The juvenile development consists of a larval stage (three pairs of legs), protonymph, and deuteronymph, but no tritonymph. Females are smaller than males. Males guard female deuteronymphs shortly before these mate, and pairs mate venter-to-venter.[5]
Reportedly, some nematodes in the family Allantonematidae are parasites of mites in this genus.[6] Although some species from this genus have been described and sampled on previous real forensic cases or successional studies on carcasses, their usefulness as a forensic marker in forensic entomology has been recently appreciated.[7]
^Joel Hallan (ed.). "Parasitidae Species Listing". Biology Catalog. Texas A&M University. Archived from the original on 7 August 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
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^Schwarz, H.H.; Walzl, M.G. (September 1996). "Pairing, oviposition and development in two sibling species of phoretic mites (Acari: Mesostigmata: Parasitidae: Poecilochirus spp.) associated with burying beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Nicrophorus spp.)". Journal of Natural History. 30 (9): 1337–1348. doi:10.1080/00222939600771251. ISSN 0022-2933.
^Capinera, John L., ed. (2008). Encyclopedia of Entomology. Springer reference (2nd ed.). Dordrecht; London: Springer. p. 756. ISBN 978-1-4020-6242-1. OCLC 156813127. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
^González Medina A, González Herrera L, Perotti MA, Jiménez Ríos G (March 2013). "Occurrence of Poecilochirus austroasiaticus (Acari: Parasitidae) in forensic autopsies and its application on postmortem interval estimation". Experimental & Applied Acarology. 59 (3): 297–305. doi:10.1007/s10493-012-9606-1. PMID 22914911. S2CID 16228053.
Poecilochirus is a Holarctic genus of mites in the family Parasitidae. They are relatively large (ca. 0.5-1mm) and often found on rotting corpses, where...
Phoretic nematodes (Rhabditoides) and mites (e.g. genera Macrocheles, Poecilochirus, Uroobovella) use the beetles to reach these rich resources, where they...
mites (for example, Poecilochirus species) are used due to their phoront-host specificity. If a corpse is invaded by Poecilochirus specimens and no Silphidae...
is known to engage in mutualistic phoresis with mites of the genus Poecilochirus. Upon arrival at a carcass, these mites drop from the beetle and begin...
decomposition. Nicrophorus beetles often carry on their bodies the mite Poecilochirus which feed on fly eggs. If they arrive at the corpse before any fly...
common name "bee mites". Other genera disperse on various beetles, e.g. Poecilochirus on burying beetles, leading to the name "beetle mites" which is also...
Macrocheles merderius, and Uroobovella nr. novasimilis and the largest mite Poecilochirus carabi. P. carabi is not attached by any physical means (such as a secreted...
Perotti, M. Alejandra; Jiménez Ríos, Gilberto (2013). "Occurrence of Poecilochirus austroasiaticus (Acari: Parasitidae) in forensic autopsies and its application...
such as the mites of genus Poecilochirus. Commonly seen riding on the elytra of N. orbicollis, the mites of genus Poecilochirus use the beetle as a source...
and there are two very prominent tubercles on pronotum. Mites such as Poecilochirus coimbatorensis, Macrocheles scarabae and Pachylaelaps catharsiae are...
engage in phoresy with this species - including some mites in the genus Poecilochirus. Like other carrion beetles in the family Silphidae, N. pustulatus beetles...
out in fights with larger beetles can benefit from the phoretic mite Poecilochirus carabi, which helps them to warm up and enables them to win contests...
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