New water mites of the family Hygrobatidae (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from Turkey

Abstract

In this study, the findings of three water mite species of the family Hygrobatidae collected from different streams in Turkey were evaluated. Hygrobates (s. str.) anatolicus Esen & Pešić, sp. n. is described as new for science. Hygrobates (Rivobates) diversiporus Sokolow, 1927 and Atractides (s. str.) nikooae Pešić, 2004, which were illustrated and thoroughly discussed, are new records for the Turkish fauna.

A new species of the water mite genus Hygrobates Koch, 1837 (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Hygrobatidae) from the ancient Lake Ohrid

“…The egg diameter of lake-living H. zawali n. sp. (266-272, up to 300 µm, Bader 1955) is significantly larger than the diameter of eggs of the stream-dwelling H. diversiporus (egg maximum diameter 170-175 µm, data taken from Sokolow 1927, andEsen et al 2013). This fact could suggest a loss of parasitism also in H. zawali n.…”

“…The first description of H. diversiporus was based on one male and one female from a first order stream in the Caucasus (Sokolow 1927). Since then, the species was reported and illustrated only once again, based on specimens from a first order stream in Turkey (Esen et al 2013). The latter authors stated that the record of this probably rhithrobiontic species from a lacustrine habitat like Lake Ohrid should find confirmation by a reinvestigation.…”

An appraisal of the water mite genus Hygrobates Koch, 1837 from Türkiye, based on morphological and molecular data (Acariformes, Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae)

“…Water mites of the genus Hygrobates Koch, 1837 are among the most common water mites in different types of running and standing waters all over the Palaearctic (Pešić et al 2017(Pešić et al , 2020a. In Türkiye the genus is relatively well studied and most of the species known to inhabit Europe and the Middle East have been reported in a number of publications on Turkish water mites (e.g., Özkan 1982;Özkan et al 1996;Erman & Özkan 2000;Aşçı et al 2006Aşçı et al -2007Erman et al 2006Erman et al , 2008Erman et al , 2010Boyacı & Özkan 2007;Pešić et al 2007, Esen et al 2013, 2014. The aforementioned publications which were based exclusively on morphological identifications, registered 12 species of the genus Hygrobates in Türkiye, two species (i.e., H. quanaticola Schwoerbel &Sepasgozarian, 1976, andH.…”

“…The aforementioned publications which were based exclusively on morphological identifications, registered 12 species of the genus Hygrobates in Türkiye, two species (i.e., H. quanaticola Schwoerbel &Sepasgozarian, 1976, andH. diversiporus Sokolow, 1927) of the polyacetabulate subgenus Rivobates, and ten species of the nominate subgenus, i.e., H. anatolicus Esen & Pešić, 2013, H. angustipalpis K.O. Viets, 1982, H. bucharicus Sokolow, 1928, H. calliger Piersig, 1896, H. fluviatilis (Strøm, 1768, H. longipalpis (Hermann, 1804), H. longiporus Thor, 1898, H. nigromaculatus Lebert, 1879, H. porrectus Koenike, 1908, and H. trigonicus Koenike, 1895 In the recent years, molecular approaches to taxonomy by using the DNA barcode technique has led to the detecting of distinct lineages among most of the known Hygrobates morphospecies previously often considered to have a wide distribution (e.g., Hygrobates anatolicus Esen & Pešić, 2013;Martin et al 2010;Pešić et al 2017Pešić et al , 2019aPešić et al , b, 2020aPešić et al , b, 2021.…”

“…diversiporus Sokolow, 1927) of the polyacetabulate subgenus Rivobates, and ten species of the nominate subgenus, i.e., H. anatolicus Esen & Pešić, 2013, H. angustipalpis K.O. Viets, 1982, H. bucharicus Sokolow, 1928, H. calliger Piersig, 1896, H. fluviatilis (Strøm, 1768, H. longipalpis (Hermann, 1804), H. longiporus Thor, 1898, H. nigromaculatus Lebert, 1879, H. porrectus Koenike, 1908, and H. trigonicus Koenike, 1895 In the recent years, molecular approaches to taxonomy by using the DNA barcode technique has led to the detecting of distinct lineages among most of the known Hygrobates morphospecies previously often considered to have a wide distribution (e.g., Hygrobates anatolicus Esen & Pešić, 2013;Martin et al 2010;Pešić et al 2017Pešić et al , 2019aPešić et al , b, 2020aPešić et al , b, 2021. As a result of the integrative taxonomy of some widespread Hygrobates species (see under Discussion for an overview), several new species (e.g., H. turcicus Pešić, Esen & Dabert, 2017, H. persicus Pešić & Asadi, 2017, H. thori Pešić & Smit, 2022, H. neotrigonicus Pešić & Esen, 2022, H. ponticus Pešić, Esen & Mumladze, 2022 have been added to the fauna of Türkiye, challenging our current knowledge of this genus and enhancing the need of including an increased number of areas sampled and a number of individuals in further molecular analysis.…”