The mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of Metazoa is a good model system for evolutionary
genomic studies and the availability of more than 1000 sequences provides an almost …

Most arachnids are central-place foragers that return to retreats or burrows after excursions
to hunt. In general, arachnids are relatively large and accessible to behavioral and …

Spiders are among the most varied terrestrial predators, with highly diverse morphology,
ecology, and behavior. Morphological and molecular data have greatly contributed to …

Spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks (chelicerates) form one of the most diverse groups of
arthropods on land, but their origin and times of diversification are not yet established. We …

The cloverleaf secondary structure of transfer RNA (tRNA) is highly conserved across all
forms of life. Here, we provide sequence data and inferred secondary structures for all tRNA …

Insect mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are of great interest in exploring molecular
evolution, phylogenetics and population genetics. Only two mitogenomes have been …

The subclass Acari (mites and ticks) comprises two super-orders: Acariformes and
Parasitiformes. Most species of the Parasitiformes known retained the ancestral pattern of …

Scorpion venoms have been studied for decades, leading to the identification of hundreds of
different toxins with medical and pharmacological implications. However, little emphasis has …

Background The apparent scarcity of available sequence data has greatly impeded
evolutionary studies in Acari (mites and ticks). This subclass encompasses over 48,000 …

Abstract Background The family Tetranychidae (Chelicerata: Acari) includes~ 1200 species,
many of which are of agronomic importance. To date, mitochondrial genomes of only two …