PEET: Systematics, Ontogeny and Ecology of the Family Acaridae (Acari: Astigmata)

小行星9521744 螨类是一个非常多样化的无脊椎动物类群（螯肢动物门：蛛形纲：蜱螨目），包括陆生、水生、自由生活和寄生形式。 该奖项将支持螨科的专题研究，该科包含约90个属，包括储存食品中最重要的螨类害虫以及导致室内灰尘过敏的物种。 奥康纳博士是一位公认的螨系统学家，非常适合培养新一代的研究人员。 该奖学金将支助两名美国研究生和三名博士后研究员的教育和培训，他们将把系统的专门知识送回日本、哥斯达黎加和澳大利亚。 研究结果将以出版物和电子形式提供，并将编制一份关于储存产品和房屋灰尘的螨类害虫的实用指南。 这项研究将有助于我们了解螨类的生物多样性，这是一组非常需要系统关注的生物，并将培养能够进一步研究这些生物的新系统学家。 这项研究的结果具有明显的医学和经济意义。 除此之外，将加强对这些螨的复杂发育或生命周期及其通过昆虫上的寄生或搭便车传播的进一步研究。

9521744 OCONNOR Mites are an extremely diverse invertebrate group (Chelicerata: Arachnida: Acariformes) including terrestrial, aquatic, free living and parasitic forms. This award will support monographic research in the mite family Acaridae which contains some 90 genera and includes the most important mite pests of stored food products as well as species responsible for house dust allergies. Dr. OConnor is a well recognized mite systematist and highly qualified for training a new generation of researchers. This award will support the education and training of two United States graduate students and three postdoctoral associates who will return their systematic expertise to Japan, Costa Rica and Australia. Research results will be made available in published and electronic form and a practical guide to mite pests of stored products and house dust will be produced. This research will contribute to our knowledge of the biological diversity of mites, a group of organisms in great need of systematic attention, and new systematists capable of further research with these organisms will be trained. The results of this research have clear implications of both medical and economic importance. Beyond that, further research concerning the complex development or life cycles of these mites and their dispersal by phoresy or hitchhiking on insects will be enhanced.