Cunaxidae
Family Cunaxidae
Undetermined sp. Size: 0.33 mm Group Guild Status Eutroglophile? Predator Uncommon? A single larva of this predatory mite was found on one of the commercial trail railings on September 30, 2021. Barry M. OConnor, our co-principal investigator for the Kartchner Caverns Macro-invertebrate Research Project, has identified (from post-trip micro-photographs taken of the specimen) the mite as a larva of a species of cunaxid mite (family: Cunaxidae). This is a new species record for the cave, and the eleventh mite family represented among the suite of invertebrates found in the cave. It is the 101st macro-invertebrate species in the ecology of the cave. Cunaxids are known predators of small arthropods, and are usually found in litter and soil. We are unaware of any previous records of cunaxid mites from caves. Adults of this animal would be required for species identification. |
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