Some statistics on the taxonomy of the family Cunaxidae (Acari: Prostigmata)

Cunaxidae is a cosmopolitan mite family consisting only of predatory species. Prompted by the goals of "Species 2000", a database for the cunaxids was prepared and made available at www.catalogueoflife.org. The family is presently arranged in five subfamilies, six tribes, 27 genera and 329 species. The three largest subfamilies are Cunaxinae, Coleoscirinae and Cunaxoidinae. Cunaxa is the most species-rich genus, followed by Armascirus and Coleoscirus. Most of the authors of new cunaxid species have their working bases in the Palaearctic, Oriental and Nearctic Regions. By far, the largest numbers of species have been described from South Africa, USA and Philippines, but the distribution of the described species may not reflect the actual diversity of these mites around the globe. Rather, it may reflect the variable dedication of authors in different countries in their study. In most countries, taxonomic studies of the cunaxids have hardly started, and much remains to be investigated. However, an immediate threat to the future of cunaxid taxonomy refers to the fact that most of the cunaxid taxonomists are retired, and that replacement by new taxonomists has not been considered a priority. Efforts should be directed to change this trend, motivating new professionals to take the cunaxids at least as part of their working priorities. In this work, I comment on the experience in trying to establish a database for the Cunaxidae, provide the most relevant results of this effort in relation to that family, and provide comments and advice for other professionals interested in doing similar work for other mite groups.