Zoosymposia

A survey of mite lifespans: part 4 (Cover)

ZHI-QIANG ZHANG — 2025-12-31

Cover

A survey of mite lifespans: part 4 (Table of contents)

ZHI-QIANG ZHANG — 2025-12-31

Table of contents

How long do acarid mites live? A survey of lifespan in Acaridae (Sarcoptiformes: Astigmata)

KESHI ZHANG — 2025-12-31

Lifespan is a fundamental life-history trait that reflects ecological and evolutionary adaptations. However, information on the lifespan of mites (Acari) remains limited despite their remarkable diversity. As part of the series “How long do Acari live?”, this study compiles and analyses published data on the lifespan of mites in the family Acaridae (Acari: Sarcoptiformes: Astigmata). Literature was searched across major databases (up to 15 October 2025), and data on species identity, sex, temperature, humidity, diet, mean adult longevity, and total lifespan were extracted. Adult longevity and/or lifespan data were only found on 19 species across 7 genera, which are mostly agricultural or storage pests. Across species, adult longevity in Acaridae was generally short, overlapping with other astigmatid mites. Lifespan was highly plastic and primarily influenced by abiotic conditions and resource quality. Cooler temperatures prolonged development and adult longevity, while reduced relative humidity lowered survival. No consistent sex difference in longevity was detected, possibility reflecting interspecific variation in reproductive strategies and experimental design. By combining existing lifespan data, this study provides a foundation for comparative and evolutionary analyses of ageing in mites. Standardised methodologies and broader taxonomic coverage beyond pest species are needed to advance understanding of life-history evolution in this ecologically and economically important family.

A survey of lifespan in Stigmaeidae (Trombidiformes: Raphignathoidea)

YUZHI GONG — 2025-12-31

Stigmaeidae Oudemans is a diverse family of mainly predatory mites of potential ecological and agricultural importance, yet research on their life-history traits has not been comprehensively synthesised. This study provides a comprehensive review of lifespan and longevity across the family, based on a systematic search of the published literature. Thirty-seven studies met the criteria for inclusion, although the available information is strongly taxonomically biased. Nearly all empirical data concern species of Agistemus Summers, with A. exsertus González-Rodríguez accounting for the majority of published estimates of life-history traits. Eight species had reported lifespan and fecundity values, and eleven species had adult longevity data. Across studies conducted at 20–35°C and 48–80% RH, lifespan ranged from 17.1 to 74.8 days and adult longevity from 8.9 to 47.7 days, with fecundity varying from 4.9 to 131.5 eggs. These ranges overlap with those reported for other predatory mite families, although several stigmaeid species exhibit extended lifespans at lower temperatures. Stigmaeids show potential as biological control agents due to their broad prey ranges, but their commercial use remains limited because many species are difficult to rear on a large scale. Broader taxonomic coverage, improved rearing methods, and standardised experimental approaches are needed to better understand lifespan variation and to strengthen evaluation of the biocontrol potential of Stigmaeidae.

A survey of developmental time, longevity, reproduction period, and fecundity in Pyemotidae (Acari: Trombidiformes: Heterostigmata)

XIN-TONG HUANG — 2025-12-31

We compiled and standardised a life-history dataset of the family Pyemotidae to quantify patterns in developmental time, adult longevity, reproductive period and fecundity and to identify the principal environmental drivers that shape them. The dataset contains 263 records from 27 references (1926–2025). Records are highly skewed: Pyemotes zhonghuajia was the single most represented taxon (89 records, 33.9%), followed by records identified only to Pyemotes sp. (70, 26.6%), P. tritici (48, 18.2%) and P. moseri (32, 12.2%). Parameter coverage was biased toward fecundity: 202 records (76.8%) reported fecundity, whereas 55 records (20.9%) reported adult longevity, 52 (19.8%) reported developmental time and 41 (15.6%) reported reproductive period. The total lifespan was reported only for the females of one nominate species (P. zhonghuajia)—about 30.5 days at 32 ℃ to 80 days at 16 ℃. Temporal coverage was concentrated in recent years: 165 records (62.7%) were published during 2016–2025, reflecting an increase in experimental (thermal, density and storage) studies that disproportionately focused on P. zhonghuajia.

Introducing Part 4 of “A Survey of Mite Lifespans”

ZHI-QIANG ZHANG — 2025-12-31

This series was started in 2021 to provide a survey of mite lifespans and associated life history data (Zhang 2021). Three parts have been published since then. Part I includes seven reviews on the suborder Oribatida (excluding Astigmata), the superfamily Eriophyoidea and families Winterschmidtiidae, Tydeidae, Anystidae, Cheyletidae, and Blattisociidae (Zhang 2021). Part 2 includes three reviews on three families of great applied importance: Tetranychidae, Phytoseiidae, and LaelapidaeI (Zhang 2022). Part 3 covers the lifespan and other life history data of the order Ixodida and families Parasitidae and Rhodacaridae (both of Mesostigmata) (Zhang 2024). I am delighted to introduce Part 4 of this series, with three reviews for three important families of economic significance: Acaridae (K. Zhang et al. 2025; Astigmata), Stigmaeidae (Gong & Fan 2025; Trombidiformes) and Pyemotidae (Huang et al. 2025; Trombidiformes).