2025/03/26 by Vasiliy B. Kolesnikov, Dmitry Vorontsov, Evgeny E. Perkovsky +1 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Study of Mite Species #Fossil Insects in Amber #Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
paper · doi:10.24349/c35e-8bmj
openalex created_date 2025/03/26 · openalex publication_date 2025/03/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
We describe Histiogaster altilis sp. nov. (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae), a newly identified species of mite from Eocene Rovno amber (34–37 Ma), based on both male and female specimens. The exceptional preservation of the fossils, coupled with advanced amber preparation and imaging techniques—including high-resolution microscopy, differential interference contrast (DIC) with transmitted light, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) equipped with a super-resolution detector—enabled detailed examination of nearly all diagnostic features. These data allowed us to perform a comprehensive comparison between this fossil species and extant representatives of the genus Histiogaster. Based on morphological similarities with extant species of known biology, and the presence of syninclusions such as fossilized phloem sap emulsions and fungal or bacterial hyphae, we hypothesize that this fossil mite likely fed on fermented tree sap and associated microorganisms. Our findings indicate that species within the genus Histiogaster have undergone minimal morphological changes since the Eocene, while continuing to occupy their ancestral ecological niche. We also review fossil Astigmata and provide an annotated checklist of 14 fossil astigmatid records, and exclude 8 records, including the genus Palaeotyroglyphus Dubinin, 1962, from Astigmata.