25/150: World Wildlife Day – Even though we are microscopic we are still wildlife!

animalia: Arthropoda: Arachnida: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae: Typhlodromus: Typhlodromus pyri (Scheuten, 1857)

The predatory plant mite Typhlodromus pyri is just one of thousands of species belonging to the family Phytoseiidae (Order: Mesostigmata). While mesostigs encompass a number of predators, parasites, and plant feeders, the Phytoseiidae are mainly predators of other small invertebrates, but some also eat pollen and fungi. Because of their strong tendency towards predation they are often used for biocontrol in agricultural settings, and Typhlodromus pyri is no exception. It lives on the surface of plants and is known to munch on the two spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) and the apple rust mite (Aculus schlechtendali), two agricultural pests of serious economic importance. There are 31 specimens of Typhlodromus pyri with barcodes on BOLD, and yet there are more than 2000 Phytoseiidae mites with barcodes. This is testament to the incredible diversity of species within the group, which is characterized by a vase-shaped anal plate on its ventral side. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID:  MBIOH728-13

nucleotide sequence

AACTTTGTATTTTATTTTTGCTGCTTGAGCAGGAATCCTAGGGACTTCTTTGAGAAGTTTAATTCGAATCGAGCTTTCTCAACCAGGAGCT—TTCTTAAAA—GATGAACAAATCTATAACGTGATTGTCACTTCTCATGCTTTTGTAATGATTTTTTTTATAGTTATACCCGCTATAATCGGAGGTTTTGGAAATTGACTGGTGCCAATAATAATTAATGCTCCGGATATAGCCTTCCCACGTATAAATAATATAAGATTTTGACTCTTACCTCCGTCATTCTTATTCCTAACTTTATCTTCATTTATTGAAGGAGGAGCTGGAACTGGTTGAACAGTTTATCCTCCTTTATCCAATTCTATTTTTCACAGAGGCCCTTCAGTTGATTTAGCTATTTTTAGATTACATTTAGCTGGAATCTCTTCTATTATAGGGTCTATTAATTTTATCTGTACAATTTTAAACATACGTCCTTTATTAACCAAGCTTGAACAAATACCTTTATTCGTATGATCTATTTTTATCACAACTATTCTTCTTCTTCTCTCTCTTCCAGTTTTAGCTGGAGCCATTACTATACTTTTAACTGACCGAAACTTTAACACCTGTTTTTTTGATCCTAGAGGAGGGGGTGACCCTGTTTTATACCAACACTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYFIFAAWAGILGTSLSSLIRIELSQPGA-FLK-DEQIYNVIVTSHAFVMIFFMVMPAMIGGFGNWLVPMMINAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSFLFLTLSSFIEGGAGTGWTVYPPLSNSIFHSGPSVDLAIFSLHLAGISSIMGSINFICTILNMRPLLTKLEQMPLFVWSIFITTILLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNFNTCFFDPSGGGDPVLYQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAZ7358

Title Image: Specimen BIOUG09350-F09 – Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Guelph – 8-Aug-2013 – Malaise Trap
Photo Credit: CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics