Uropodella (Acari: Mesostigmata: Sejidae), mites unchanged from Eocene past to Holocene present

Abstract

The first record is presented of the sejoid genus Uropodella (family Uropodellidae, suborder Sejida) from Baltic amber, based on a well-preserved adult male. Morphologically, the specimen is as modern in structure as adults of the six known extant species of Uropodella. The diagnosis of the fossil in distinction to the extant species justifies naming it as a new species. This record traces the genus back to the Eocene, representing the oldest validated age for a mesostigmatan genus. A key to species of the genus Uropodella is given.