The Experts below are selected from a list of 246 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Zhi-qiang Zhang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Preface to a special volume of acarological papers in memory of Ekaterina Alekseevna Sidorchuk (1981–2019)
Zootaxa, 2019Co-Authors: Zhi-qiang ZhangAbstract:The acarological and palaeontological communities lost a rising star when Dr Ekaterina Alekseevna (Katya) Sidorchuk passed away in a tragic accident while diving in the Maldives on 20 January 2019. Katya was a good colleague of many Acarologists and much-loved friend of numerous collaborators. She was a highly-valued member of the editing team of Zootaxa , serving as a subject editor for Oribatida (Acari) for several years; her excellent editorial contributions were greatly appreciated by many colleagues and friends. To honour Katya, her colleagues and friends of the acarological world dedicate here a special volume of Zootaxa in her memory.
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Recognizing high impact in acarological research
Systematic & Applied Acarology, 2018Co-Authors: Zhi-qiang ZhangAbstract:The impact factor for Systematic and Applied Acarology ( SAA ) in 2017 was announced in the latest release (June 2018) of Journal Citation Reports (JCR) from Clarivate Analytics. I take this opportunity to comment on the growth of SAA’s impact factor and recognize the top 10 most highly cited papers that contributed greatly it. I also introduce the James Allen McMurtry Award, recently instituted by the Systematic and Applied Acarology Society to recognize Acarologists who have made outstanding contributions to systematic and/or applied acarology.
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Eriophyoidea and allies: where do they belong?
Systematic & Applied Acarology, 2017Co-Authors: Zhi-qiang ZhangAbstract:The eriophyoid mites are tiny but ancient and very diverse—over 5000 species have been named and described so far (Chetverikov et al. 2015; Bolton et al. 2017; Xue et al. 2017). They have received tremendous attention from Acarologists over the last two decades or so.
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Recent trends in four major journals in acarology: size and impact
Systematic & Applied Acarology, 2017Co-Authors: Zhi-qiang ZhangAbstract:SAA increased its frequency from four issues per year in 2014 to 12 per year in 2016, whereas the three other journals did not change frequency. As a result, SAA increased the number of papers per year each year over the last three years and is now the largest, despite being a latecomer (Fig. 1). The volume of SAA had been gradually increasing in the past (Zhang 2014b, 2015, 2016), but the rapid increase during the last three years is a reflection of the rising popularity and respect of this journal among Acarologists in the world.
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A decade of Systematic & Applied Acarology
Systematic & Applied Acarology, 2016Co-Authors: Zhi-qiang ZhangAbstract:Systematic & Applied Acarology (SAA) was founded in 1996 and has been continuously published by the Systematic & Applied Acarology Society (SAAS), whose main mission is to promote the development of acarology and communication among Acarologists around the world.
Vikram Prasad - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Holotype female of Paraphytoseius scleroticus after 33 years: voucher photos, comments and description of a new genus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)
persian journal of acarology, 2015Co-Authors: Vikram Prasad, Krishna KarmakarAbstract:Paraphytoseius scleroticus (Gupta & Ray, 1981) known only from the holotype female and having some unique morphological features, was examined and photographed in the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India. Voucher photos included in the present study indicate the presence of setae z2 and z4 on the dorsal shield that are serrated and much longer than in any other known species of the genus Paraphytoseius . Seta S5, unique for representing the cracentis species group Chant & McMurtry, 2003, to which P. scleroticus belongs, is clearly evident lateral to seta Z5. Lyrifissure idm5, not discussed or illustrated by Gupta & Ray (1981), is also present posteromedial to base of seta S5. As type specimens of many mites deteriorate over the years and often no longer show important morphological features, or are not available for study by Acarologists, or are lost due to various reasons, taking voucher photos of the important features of type specimens, especially of soft bodied mites, is strongly suggested. These may be placed online for use by the phytoseiid taxonomists. A new genus, Paraphytoevanseius Prasad gen. nov. , is described and a key for the identification of different genera of the subtribe Paraphytoseiina, including the new genus, and Paraphytoevanseius arjunae (Sadanan-dan, 2006) comb. nov. are given.
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Obituary: Robert Lee Smiley
International Journal of Acarology, 2010Co-Authors: Vikram PrasadAbstract:ABSTRACT The life and achievements of Robert Lee Smiley (1929–2010), prominent U.S. Department of Agriculture acarologist, are recounted, alongside a list of his scientific papers.
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Study on water-seeking behavior of a Limnochares sp. (Acari: Hydrachnida: Limnocharidae) using a video camera
International Journal of Acarology, 2010Co-Authors: Vikram PrasadAbstract:ABSTRACT Water mites have many survival behaviors in both adults and their progeny. Post-larval stages, including adult water mites, have no adaptations for survival outside the aquatic medium and so cannot live long outside this medium. The present paper reveals the water-seeking behavior of a Limnochares sp. (Acari: Limnocaridae) observed using a video camera. It is suggested that Acarologists should use this inexpensive tool to study the many interesting behaviors of mites and ticks.
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Donald A. Chant (1928–2007) — a personal farewell
International Journal of Acarology, 2008Co-Authors: Vikram PrasadAbstract:Abstract The life and achievements of Donald A. Chant, Canada's foremost authority on the mite family Phytoseiidae, are recalled in the context of his relationships with the author, colleagues, family and friends. Some representative condolences and tributes received from other Acarologists are also included.
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mercer p russell and louis c rutledge two unforgettable Acarologists
International Journal of Acarology, 2008Co-Authors: Vikram PrasadAbstract:Abstract While ‘Acarology’ is the study of mites and ticks, ‘acarologistology’ is the study of Acarologists themselves. As in other professions, it takesmore than training to become a successful acarologist. Central to any life of achievement is the support of teachers and mentors, family and friends. Here is the story of two unforgettable companions whose benevolence was vital to a young acarologist at a time of dire need.
M. Alejandra Perotti - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Mégnin re-analysed: the case of the newborn baby girl, Paris, 1878
Experimental and Applied Acarology, 2009Co-Authors: M. Alejandra PerottiAbstract:This paper analyses acarological evidence from a 130-year-old forensic investigation. It was the first case in forensic acarology, i.e., the first case where mites provided substantial information to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI). In 1878, the mites found in the mummified body of a newborn baby girl in Paris, France, were studied by acarologist and forensic entomologist Jean Pierre Mégnin. Mégnin estimated around 2.4 million mites in the skull and identified them as Tyroglyphus longior (Gervais), a junior synonym of Tyrophagus longior . He suggested that the arrival of these mites at the corpse would have occurred by phoresy on carrier insects, roughly 5 months before the autopsy. There is no doubt about the identification of the mites, Mégnin was a highly respected acarologist. However, two main factors affecting the biology of Tyrophagus mites were not included in the original analysis. First, Mégnin stated that the mites were phoretic. However, he probably did not have access to information about the natural history of the species, because as a rule Tyrophagus mites are non-phoretic. Considering the omnipresence of Tyrophagus mites in soil, most likely the mites will have arrived almost immediately after death. Second, temperature was not taken into account during the estimations of the mite population growth rate. The new analysis is based on current knowledge of Tyrophagus biology and includes temperature, estimated following a handful of weather reports of the years 1877 and 1878. The new projections indicate that non-phoretic mites may have colonised the body just after death and the colony would have built up over 8 months, contrary to the 5 months proposed by Mégnin. This new lapse of time agrees with the PMI proposed by Brouardel: on 15 January 1878 he postulated the death of the newborn to have occurred some 8 months before the autopsy.
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Mégnin re-analysed: the case of the newborn baby girl, Paris, 1878.
Experimental and Applied Acarology, 2009Co-Authors: M. Alejandra PerottiAbstract:This paper analyses acarological evidence from a 130-year-old forensic investigation. It was the first case in forensic acarology, i.e., the first case where mites provided substantial information to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI). In 1878, the mites found in the mummified body of a newborn baby girl in Paris, France, were studied by acarologist and forensic entomologist Jean Pierre Megnin. Megnin estimated around 2.4 million mites in the skull and identified them as Tyroglyphus longior (Gervais), a junior synonym of Tyrophagus longior. He suggested that the arrival of these mites at the corpse would have occurred by phoresy on carrier insects, roughly 5 months before the autopsy. There is no doubt about the identification of the mites, Megnin was a highly respected acarologist. However, two main factors affecting the biology of Tyrophagus mites were not included in the original analysis. First, Megnin stated that the mites were phoretic. However, he probably did not have access to information about the natural history of the species, because as a rule Tyrophagus mites are non-phoretic. Considering the omnipresence of Tyrophagus mites in soil, most likely the mites will have arrived almost immediately after death. Second, temperature was not taken into account during the estimations of the mite population growth rate. The new analysis is based on current knowledge of Tyrophagus biology and includes temperature, estimated following a handful of weather reports of the years 1877 and 1878. The new projections indicate that non-phoretic mites may have colonised the body just after death and the colony would have built up over 8 months, contrary to the 5 months proposed by Megnin. This new lapse of time agrees with the PMI proposed by Brouardel: on 15 January 1878 he postulated the death of the newborn to have occurred some 8 months before the autopsy.
N. H. Anderson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Bryobia arborea n. sp. and Morphological Characters Distinguishing It from B . praetiosa Koch (Acarina: Tetranychidae)
Canadian Entomologist, 2020Co-Authors: C. V. G. Morgan, N. H. AndersonAbstract:The clover, or brown, mite, Bryobia praetiosa Koch, was described in 1836 from specimens collected an shrubbery in Germany. The systematics of the species is complex and confusing. By 1838, Koch had described four species in the genus Bryobia but he preserved no type specimens and his descriptions do not agree with his illustrations (7, 12). Subsequent workers either placed Koch's species in synonomy nor described new species. Two species, speciosa Koch and ribis Thomas, have created the most controversv. B. speciosa was accepted as valid by Koch, Berlese, Canestrini and Fanzago, ind Oudemans, but rejected by von Hanstein and Trägårdh (2, 12). The gooseberry mite, B. ribis, was recognized as a valid species by Thomas and von Hanstein but Oudemans and Trägårdh placed it in synonomy with B. praetiosa (12). Further confusion was caused by the descriptions of additional new species of Bryobia and by descriptions of immature stages of B. praetiosa (8). The following taxonomic characters used by early Acarologists in describing species of Bryobia have since been considered too variable for distinguishing species: number of femoral and tarsal hairs on the foreleg, body size, concavity of dorsum, and size and shape of cephalothoracic plate (7, 8, 12). Consequently, taxonomists have been at a loss to interpret Koch's original descriptions and subsequent redescriptions became inevitable. Because of the lack of morphological distinctions the modern trend has been to group all previously proposed species into one valid species (7, 8). As a result, 20 synonyms are now recognized for B. praetiosa (8).
M. J. Colloff - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Acarology: Proceedings of the 10th International Congress
2001Co-Authors: R. B. Halliday, D. E. Walter, H. C. Proctor, R. A. Norton, M. J. ColloffAbstract:Acarology: Proceedings of the 10th International Congress is a timely overview of the current international research mites and ticks. The outcome of a conference of leading Acarologists, it presents major reviews of all current areas of research including: *advances in acarine biodiversity and systematics *human and livestock diseases transmitted by ticks and other parasitic mites *interactions between mites and their food plants *mites as biological control agents *use of genetic markers in mite population studies *mites as bioindicators *ecology and biology of soil mites *mite evolutionary ecology and reproduction *advances in acarine diversity and systematics The 90 papers in the book represent some of the best research from leading international researchers from over 50 countries, and helps to establish priorities for future research. All papers have been peer reviewed and edited. Acarology is a comprehensive and important addition to the world literature on mites, and is an essential addition to all acarological and entomological reference collections.
