Trombidium breei
Appearance
Trombidium breei | |
---|---|
On a butterfly | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Trombidiformes |
Family: | Trombidiidae |
Genus: | Trombidium |
Species: | T. breei
|
Binomial name | |
Trombidium breei Southcott, 1986
|
Trombidium breei is a species of red mite in the genus Trombidium in the family Trombidiidae. It is found in Europe. The larvae are parasites/hosts of certain butterflies (Lepidoptera), particularly meadow brown (Maniola jurtina), gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), marbled white (Melanargia galathea), common blue (Polyommatus icarus) and small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris). They attach themselves to the thorax or legs of the butterfly and transfer from host to host when the butterflies alight to nectar at flowers.
References
[edit]- Synopsis of the described Arachnida of the World: Trombidiidae
Name
[edit]The species is named after Reverend William Thomas Bree (1754–1822).
Further reading
[edit]- Ronald Vernon Southcott (1986). "Studies on the taxonomy and biology of the subfamily Trombidiinae (Acarina : Trombidiidae) with a critical revision of the genera". Australian Journal of Zoology. Supplementary Series. 34 (123): 1–116. doi:10.1071/AJZS123.