Fourth contribution to the knowledge of water mites from the Comoros, with the description of two new species (Acari: Hydrachnidia)

(991 speciesThe top family is the Eriophyidae, which alone accounted for nearly 15% of the total new species. Geographically, the new species were described from 92 countries and their distribution among these countries is highly uneven. The top 10 countries accounted for 62% of all the new species and the top country, China, alone accounted for 18% of the total. The average number of new species per country is 15 and no more than a fifth of the countries are above the average, and 40% of the countries have only 1-3 new species each. The top country for each continent is China (248 species) for Asia, Australia (166 species) for Oceania, Brazil (76 species) for South America, Kenya (51 species) for Africa, USA (51 species) for North America and Russia (42 species) for Europe. Increased efforts in discovering and describing new species are much needed for biodiversity-rich countries in South America, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Hotspots of new species discovery: new mite species described during 2007 to 2012

Liu¹,

Yi²,

Xu³

et al. 2013

Torrenticolid water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Torrenticolidae) from Ghana

Pešić

Smit

2014

New records of water mites of the family Torrenticolidae (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from streams in Ghana are presented. One new subgenus, Vietsclio n. subgen., is erected to accommodate Monatractides uniscutatus (K. Viets, 1925), characterized by the presence of swimming setae on leg II-IV. Seven new species are described: Neoatractides (Allotorrenticola) erato n. sp., Monatractides (Monatractides) euterpe n. sp., M. (M.) melpomene n. sp., M. (M.) polyhymnia n. sp., M. (M.) thalia n. sp., M. (M.) terpsichore n. sp., M. (M.) urania n. sp. Torrenticola calliope is established as the new name for previously reported populations of T. harrisoni K. Viets, 1956 from Ethiopia. The first description of the female is given for Monatractides (Monatractides) acutiscutatus (K. Viets, 1914) and M. (Vietsclio) uniscutatus K. Viets 1925. The subgenus Allotorrenticola Cook, 1967, previously known only from Asia, is reported for the first time from the Afrotropical region. Additionally, first records for Ghana are given for Torrenticola anomallela Cook, 1966, T. bomiensis Cook, 1966, T. fasciata (K. Viets, 1916), T. motasi Cook, 1966, T. harrisoni K. Viets, 1956, Pseudotorrenticola mitchelli Cook, 1966, Monatractides (Monatractides) acutiscutatus (K. Viets, 1914), M. (M.) convexiscutata (K. Viets, 1958), M. (M.) koenikei (K. Viets, 1916), M. (M.) stigeophora (Cook, 1966), M. (M.) ventriosus (K. Viets, 1916), M. (M.) microstoma Koenike, 1898-species complex, and M. uniscutatus (K. Viets 1925).

Water mites from Mount Kinabalu and the Crocker Range, Borneo, Malaysia (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of 34 new species

Smit

Pešić

2014

Descriptions are presented of new species of water mites from two mountains in the Malaysian part of Borneo. A new subgenus of the genus Javalbia (Hygrobatidae), i.e. Megapes n. subgen., and 34 new species are described: Limnocharidae: Limnochares (Limnochares) spinosa n. sp.; Oxidae: Oxus (Oxus) fuscus n. sp.; Hydryphantidae: Protzia borneoensis n. sp.; Sperchontidae: Sperchon kinabaluensis n. sp., Sperchonopsis orientalis n. sp.; Hygrobatidae: Hygrobates (Hygrobates) acutipalpis n. sp., H. (Hygrobates) hamatoides n. sp., H. (Hygrobates) striatus n. sp., Atractides (Atractides) neospatiosus n. sp., A. (Atractides) sabahensis n. sp., A. (Atractides) crockerensis n. sp., A. (Atractides) curtisetus n. sp., A.(Tympanomegapus) borneoensis n. sp.; Frontipodopsidae: Frontipodopsis suturalis n. sp.; Aturidae: Javalbia (Javalbia) montana n. sp., J. (Javalbia) solitaria n. sp., J. (Javalbiopsis) borneoensis n. sp., J. (Javalbiopsis) kinabaluensis n. sp., J. (Javalbiopsis) magniseta n. sp., J. (Javalbiopsis) reticulata n. sp., J. (Megapes) uncinata n. sp., Albaxona mahuaensis n. sp., Axonopsis (Axonopsis) longigenitalis n. sp., A. (Axonopsis) rugosa n. sp., A. (Paraxonopsis) truncata n. sp., A. (Brachypodopsis) latipalpis n. sp., A. (Vicinaxonopsis) caeca n. sp., Erebaxonopsis kipungitensis n. sp., Ljania inconspicua n. sp., L. obliterata n. sp., Albia (Albiella) crocker n. sp., Aturus borneoensis n. sp.; Athienemanniidae: Africasia acuticoxalis n. sp.; Arrenuridae: Thoracophoracarus uniacetabulatus n. sp. A key is presented for the Javalbia species of Borneo. New records are given for 10 further species. In the course of revisional work, lectotypes are designated for the following species: Atractides cognatus (K. Viets) and A. propatulus (K. Viets).