Phylogenetic analyses of 28S nuclear rDNA gene sequences and morphological data has shown that several acarid mites associated with mushrooms and previously assigned to the genera Rhizoglyphus, Rhizoglyphoides and Mycetosancassania represent a monophyletic group within the genus Sancassania. Based on phylogenetic reconstruction of the clade (nidicola(grifolapholiotae (germanica (sp1 (rotundata+sp2))))), the lineage probably originated from relatively advanced Sancassania with short, setiform supracoxal setae in the Palaearctic region. Sancassania grifolapholiotae n. comb. and S. sp. 1. inhabit several species of basidiomycete fruiting bodies; S. rotundata n. comb. is restricted to mushrooms in relatively wet acid bog habitats. Dispersal is via phoretic deutonymphs which have been found on millipedes and carabid beetles.
Species 1: Acari Acaridae Rhizoglyphus rotundatus
Species 2: Acari Acaridae Rhizoglyphoides nidicola
Species 3: Acari Acaridae Mycetosancassania grifolapholiotae
Keywords: fungi
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA