Evolutionary Aspects of Oribatid Mite Life Histories and Consequences for the Origin of the Astigmata

Abstract

With densities of several hundred thousand individuals per square meter, oribatid mites are often the most diverse and numerically dominant arthropods in organic layers of temperate forest soils, where they feed primarily on decomposing higher plant material and on fungi (Harding and Stuttard 1974, Wallwork 1983, Norton 1985). This chapter represents a first attempt at developing a phylogenetic context for the surprisingly large volume of literature that deals with various aspects of oribatid life histories.