Shatrov A B
Parazitologiia. 2006 Nov-Dec;40(6):489-511.
On the basis of the analysis of morphology and biology of representatives of the Parasitengona, mostly trombiculids, trombidiids and water mites, a new attempt is made to clarify probable evolutionary scenario in this group of the higher trombidiform mites (Actinedida). It is supposed that the very old ancestral group of terrestrial arachnids, having bite-sucking mouth-parts, poorly differentiated sac-like midgut and capability to extra-oral digestion, fed predatory on different small soil arthropods at all phases of the life cycle. They were small segmented orthotrichous homeomorphic arachnids at the rank of genus or family. The favorable feeding conditions of the adult phase have led to the small eggs rich in yolk and the small larva. The latter have led in turn to the necessity of intensive feeding at the larval stage to complete the ontogenesis. Further in evolution, this group gave rise at once to two or even more large paraphyletic branches. Most of them retained feeding on arthropods with transition of larvae to much more effective parasitic feeding provided with the additional specialization of the larval stage. This branch comprise divergently radiated paraphyletic terrestrial and secondary-water water mites each having long course of evolution resulted in the recent groups of Calyptostomatoidea, Erythraeoidea, Trombidioidea and several superfamilies of water mites. Another branch of the ancestral Parasitengona has followed the way of adaptation of larvae to feeding on vertebrates, which were being attacked by the larvae in the environment of pasture. The parasitism on vertebrates has lead to several radical specializations of these mites and their significant evolutionary progress. At the same time, the similar ontogenetic dynamics, as well as synchronous reduction of particular developmental stages in all parasitengones, inevitably indicate the monophyletic origin of the whole branch of Parasitengona with Pterygosomatidae as the most probable sister group.
在对寄螨总目中的代表物种（主要是恙螨、绒螨和水螨）进行形态学和生物学分析的基础上，人们再次尝试阐明这一高等绒螨类群（前气门亚目）可能的进化历程。据推测，非常古老的陆生蛛形纲祖先类群具有刺吸式口器、分化程度低的囊状中肠以及口外消化能力，在生命周期的各个阶段均以不同的小型土壤节肢动物为捕食对象。它们是处于属或科级别的小型分节、刚毛整齐、形态相似的蛛形纲动物。成虫阶段良好的取食条件导致了富含卵黄的小卵和小型幼虫的出现。而后者又反过来导致幼虫阶段必须进行大量取食才能完成个体发育。在进一步的进化过程中，这一类群立即产生了两个甚至更多的大型并系分支。其中大多数保留了以节肢动物为食的习性，幼虫转变为更有效的寄生性取食方式，并伴随着幼虫阶段的额外特化。这个分支包括辐射状发散的并系陆生螨类和次生水生螨类，它们各自漫长的进化历程造就了现今的隐头螨总科、赤螨总科、绒螨总科以及几个水螨超科。祖先寄螨总目的另一个分支则遵循了幼虫适应以脊椎动物为食的路径，这些幼虫在牧场环境中攻击脊椎动物。对脊椎动物的寄生导致了这些螨类的若干根本性特化以及显著的进化进步。与此同时，所有寄螨类相似的个体发育动态，以及特定发育阶段的同步缩减，不可避免地表明寄螨总目整个分支具有单系起源，其中翼螨科最有可能是其姐妹类群。
