On the taxonomic state of water mite taxa (Acari: Hydrachnidia) described from the Palaearctic, part 3, Hygrobatoidea and Arrenuroidea with new faunistic data

Abstract

Following revision of material from museum collections and recent field work, new taxonomic and faunistic data are given for several representatives of the water mite superfamilies Hygrobatoidea and Arrenuroidea.

The use of molecular techniques in the taxonomy of water mites (Hydrachnidia, Acari)

“…Water mites are organisms on which molecular analysis is still rarely performed, as compared to other groups of invertebrates. Fortunately, recent years have seen increasing use of molecular techniques to clarify the intricacies of Hydrachnidia taxonomy (Martin et al 2010;Mahdieh et al 2012;Stålstedt et al 2013;Smit et al 2015;Martin et al 2015). Using DNA markers in the taxonomy of water mites enables definitive resolution of ambiguities in the case of numerous questionable taxa, which is of great importance in all other types of research on these organisms.…”

“…Molecular data show that Piona laminata and P. nodata from the Netherlands differ at a level of 15.57%, clearly indicating that they are separate species (Smit et al 2015). Apart from molecular analyses, Smit et al (2015) also report morphological characters based on which the four species once considered to be the Piona nodata-complex can be distinguished. The latest key for identification of European Hydrachnidia (Gerecke et al 2016) provides diagnostic characters owing to which these species can easily be distinguished.…”

“…It has become possible to identify not only new species, but also species that are difficult to distinguish using traditional methods. The COI gene fragment served as evidence for species separation in water mites such as Hygrobates nigromaculatus and H. setosus (Martin et al 2010), a few representatives of mites of the superfamilies Hygrobatoidea and Arrenuroidea (Smit et al 2015), and phylogenetic analysis of representatives of Acariformes (Dabert et al 2010) and Hygrobatidae (Mahdieh et al 2012).…”

“…Until detailed molecular analysis was conducted, erroneous identifications occurred as well, even in fairly recent literature (Smit & Van der Hammen 2000;Smit & Gerecke 2010). Molecular data show that Piona laminata and P. nodata from the Netherlands differ at a level of 15.57%, clearly indicating that they are separate species (Smit et al 2015). Apart from molecular analyses, Smit et al (2015) also report morphological characters based on which the four species once considered to be the Piona nodata-complex can be distinguished.…”

Water mites of the genus Atractides Koch, 1837 from Kyrgyzstan (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Hygrobatidae) with the description of six new species

“…In the key of Western Palaearctic species provided by Gerecke (2003) the new species were placed close to A. glandulosus (Walter, 1918). The latter species in the both sexes differ in more enlarged dorsal glandularia (diameter ˃ 30 µm) and I-L-5 more thickened in its distal part (ratio dL/H 2.6-3.0, data taken from Smit et al 2015), and in the male by very strong and long sword seta on P-4, inserting slightly anterior to proximoventral seta (Smit et al 2015).…”