Towards an integrative approach to taxonomy of Eriophyoidea (Acari, Prostigmata) - an overview

Abstract

A contemporary approach to describing species diversity, so called integrative taxonomy, aims to delimit the units of life‘s diversity from multiple and complementary perspectives. An overview of alpha taxonomy of eriophyoid mites, one of the most economically important and speciose groups of the Acari, is presented from its very beginnings at the end of 19th century until today. The analysis follows the development of morphotaxonomy, from the increase of the number of characters visible and distinguishable in slide-mounted specimens, up to the discovery of new characters using LTSEM, CLSM and other modern microscopic techniques. Molecular genetic tools, as one of the complementary segments of the integrative approach and ideally suited for the elucidation of cryptic eriophyoid diversity, have been intensively applied nowadays. All this is considered in the light of improvements of alpha taxonomy of Eriophyoidea moving gradually towards integrative taxonomy.