Dr Owen Seeman1

1Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Australia

Biography:

Owen Seeman is the collection manager for arachnids and myriapods at the Queensland Museum, where he is celebrating his 21st year. He's also an acarologist with an interest in the taxonomy, ecology, evolution and behaviour of mites, particularly those that live in intimate associations with insects and plants. There is no place too extraordinary or grubby for mites, as demonstrated by recent papers on mites in fig syconia, coreid bug scent glands, and sexually transmitted mites under the wings of carabid beetles.

Abstract:

The enormous diversity of mites, some of which depend upon a single host species, coupled with threatened species and environments, means that some must be endangered or even extinct. But how do we identify an endangered mite species, recognise which species are at greater risk of extinction, and determine how they can be incorporated in conservation efforts? Here, I discuss mite conservation first by splitting mites into two groups: those associated with hosts and free-living mites. Host-specific mites living on endangered animals and plants are endangered or threatened themselves. Among these, at greatest risk are mite species with off-host dispersal: these will have a critical host density. Conservation efforts for endangered host animals and plants should also consider the host’s microfauna, a particularly challenging issue for hosts raised without contact with infected individuals and that many species remain undescribed. In this context, I discuss two examples: mites from Orange Bellied Parrots, and mites from Myrtaceae at risk from extinction due to myrtle rust. In contrast to host-associated mites, demonstrating that a free-living mite is endangered is difficult, requiring extensive survey work. Thus, few examples exist. Finally, what role could mites play in conservation? While it is unlikely that a mite will become the focus of a conservation effort, they could be included as part of an endangered community that, along with other species in a particular habitat, could play a collective role in conservation goals.