How long do laelapid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) live?

Abstract

The family Laelapidae includes over 1500 morphologically and behaviorally diverse species that are free-living predatory mites or associated with mammals, birds, and arthropods. So far, however, only 29 species of laelapid mites have been studied for their lifespan or developmental period of immature stages. In this review, we provide a survey of the lifespan and immature stage developmental period of Laelapidae. This review summarized previously published data on the developmental time from egg to adult under different conditions, primarily diet, temperature, and relative humidity, and between sex, when the data is available. The longest-lived can survive more than 500 days, while the short-lived is only in stock for 2 days. All these biotic and abiotic factors affect lifespan and immature developmental period of laelapid mites.