Acari of Alberta Almanac
Categories: Taxonomy
Status: In Progress
About the Project
The 'Almanac of Alberta Acari' series are compendiums of information on the known mites in Alberta, including collection records, keys, illustrations, and ecological information.
The Almanac of Alberta Oribatida Part l encompasses oribatid mites (Arthropoda: Arachnida: Acari: Acariformes: Sarcoptiformes: Oribatida) with ventral length near or greater than 300 µm, which are monitored by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute.
The Almanac of Alberta Acari Part II includes all other mites recorded in Alberta as well as in a Glossary of Acarological Terms. The almanacs are meant to be ‘living documents’ that are maintained and updated regularly.
Uropodid mites attached to a scarab beetle (Aphodius fimetarius)
Hermanniella robusta Ewing, 1918
Eupelops sp. 2 DEW
Questions? Get in touch.
Project Collaborators
David E. Walter, University of the Sunshine Coast, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
Trimalaconothrus maior (Berlese, 1910)
An aquatic mite found in peatlands. Parthenogenetic (thelytokous): apparently ovoviviparous, females carry up to four larvae internally.
Project Impact
As of the most recent update (August 2021), there were about 1,375 species of mites known in the province, although many are unidentified species or subspecies. Our primary goals are to provide a record of Alberta’s mite fauna that is associated with distributional and ecological information and to provide identification tools (images, keys, and diagnoses) to facilitate the identification of these mites by students and researchers.
Parhypochthonius aphidinus Berlese, 1904, and Gehypochthonius gracilis Pankov, 2002
See more of our projects and ongoing work.
The Peltigera Project
The Peltigera project aims to expand our understanding of Peltigera lichen diversity in Alberta through genetic markers. Building on the research done by global Peltigera experts, we hope to use genetic data to both verify our identifications and detect new species to the province.
The RECCAP Project
The RECCAP project—Retrospective Evaluation of Contaminants in Cryptogams in the Alberta Oil Sands Region Partnership—is exploring the use of ABMI data and specimens to determine environmental contaminant levels and their effects.
Soil Mite Introduction
Learn more about mites and why they are important to monitor. Find out more about individual mite species in Alberta on ABMI's Biodiversity Browser.
