Mites (Acari) of Arctic polar deserts

Mites are among the dominant arthropods of polar deserts. In polar deserts of the Arctic, most mite genera and families are represented by a single species, with one main exception: the predatory genus Arctoseius Thor, 1930 (Gamasida: Ascidae). Evert Lindquist's revisionary work (1961, 1964) on the North American species of Arctoseius provided the basis for further research on the genus. This genus is characteristic of arctic landscape, comprising no less than 26 species in the tundra biome and 15 of these in polar deserts. Contrarily to that of most other animal groups, the local species richness of Arctoseius inside the Arctic appears independent of latitude. The most eurytopic and abundant mites in polar deserts belong to ancient lineages of Acariformes such as Eupodina and Nanorchestidae, which are characterized by a small size, thin integument, and fluid-feeding omnivory or algophagy.