1. The Hydrachnidia (water mites, Hydracarina) are the most diversified group of the Acari in freshwaters and are abundant and speciose in lotic habitats. Lower-order streams may contain up to 50 species (including benthic and hyporheic forms) and small springs up to 20 crenobiont species. 2. Water mites are grouped into 8 superfamilies, 50 families, 300 genera containing more than 5 000 species. Representatives of all superfamilies (about 3 000 species worldwide) occur in lotic ecosystems, although most lotic species belong to the Hydryphantoidea, Lebertioidea and Hygrobatoidea. Identification of water mite families, genera and subgenera, throughout the world, is possible using taxonomic publications. Keys to species level are also available but mainly for local faunas. Descriptions of larvae and deutonymphs are rare. 3. The life cycle of the Hydrachnidia is unique among the Acari and is similar to that of holometabolous insects, with a heteromorphic parasitic/phoretic larva and two pupa-like resting stages. The larva parasitises mainly insect hosts with apparently no strict hostspecificity. Deutonymphs and adults are voracious predators feeding mainly on insect eggs, insect larvae and microcrustaceans. In some cases, water mite parasitism and predation may substantially affect the structure of lotic communities. 4. Most species show a high degree of habitat/microhabitat specialization. Temperature, current-speed, substratum type, physiographic and geomorphological factors are the major determinants of species composition in water mite communities. 5. The complex, fully aquatic, life cycle and multilevel biocoenotic interactions make water mites well suited for the detection of physical and chemical disturbances to lotic ecosystems. 6. Future research should address the distribution, biology, autecology, community dynamics and ecological interactions of lotic water mites.