Diversity of Interactions between Mites and Insects

Dear Colleagues,

Mites and insects are hyperdiverse groups of organisms and integral components of many ecosystems. They frequently co-occur spatially and temporally, and their coexistence has led to the evolution of various interactions between species. In 1844, Edward Newman wrote that “nothing is more common than for insects to be infested with minute acari”, which perfectly reflects the commonness of associations between these groups of arthropods. Parasitism, symbiosis, or phoresy are the most common, but in many cases, they remain largely unstudied. The lack of collaboration between acarologists and entomologists or the confusing taxonomy of many mite groups can be listed among the most important causes regarding why our knowledge of many mite-insect relationships is still limited. Previous research findings have shown that the nature of many mite–insect relationships is not always evident and often turns out to be more complex than originally recognized. A good example can be phoresy, a phenomenon in which a mite uses an insect to disperse. We already know that phoretic interactions can be neutral, harmful, or even have beneficial effects on the carrier organism. A wide range of diverse interactions changing into one another can be observed even within the same mite–insect system.

Studies of relationships between mites and insects are important because they allow an understanding of the functioning of many communities, provide knowledge of the evolution of these two groups of arthropods, and the findings can be applied, e.g., in the biological control of arthropod pests. Species extinction caused by habitat loss and fragmentation due to human development and global warming may cause many mite–insect interactions to remain unknown.

This Special Issue invites original research articles and reviews reporting recent ecological and evolutionary discoveries in the field of a diverse array of mite–insect interactions. Taxonomic manuscripts presenting descriptions of new mite species associated with insects are also welcomed. We look forward to your contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Wojciech Magowski
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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