Description of developmental instars of Bonomoia sibirica sp. n. (Astigmata: Histiostomatidae) with ecological observations and phylogenetic conclusions

Abstract

Bonomoia sibirica sp. n. was reared under laboratory conditions in the original samples of bark beetle galleries together with several specimens of the Dendroctonus micans (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) beetle. Two types of samples were examined: the beetles taken from their hibernating galleries with some original substrate sticking to their bodies and the original bark pieces with corresponding soil from those galleries. Some mite protonymphs and tritonymphs appeared only in the soil remains on the bark beetle bodies, while the beetles themselves lacked mite deutonymphs; the collected bark contained also no mites. It is concluded that B. sibirica sp. n. needs to be in close contact with its carriers for a successful development. Since no males were found in the cultures of B. sibirica, it is assumed that these mites can reproduce by thelytoky. Under laboratory conditions, the deutonymphs preferred attaching to imagines of D. micans along the entire dorsal side of the elytrae. Furthermore, B. sibirica is one of a few Bonomoia species (including the species previously referred to genus Probonomoia) known from both, immatures and adults. Based on the morphological features of deutonymphs and adult females, B. sibirica sp. n. is assumed to be a sister species of B. certa. It is discussed whether the known Bonomoia species, found in association with beetles of the taxon Scolytinae, might represent a subclade within Bonomoia.