The early derivative water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia, superfamilies Eylaoidea, Hydrachnoidea and Hydryphantoidea) of Madagascar

Abstract

A general introduction to the water mites of Madagascar is given, together with a survey of the diversity of the early derivative superfamilies Eylaoidea, Hydrachnoidea, and Hydryphantoidea. The family Teratothyadidae (genera Teratothyas and Teratothyasides) and the hydryphantid subfamilies Euthyadinae (genera Javathyas and Trichothyas) and Wandesiinae (genus Wandesia) are recorded for the first time from Madagascar, the latter being new for the Ethiopian bioregion. One subgenus in the family Teratothyadidae, Ascoteratothyas subgen. nov. (genus Teratothyas) and eighteen species are described as new to science: Hydrodroma amoenoderma, H. lasioderma, H. megalonyx, H. mesembrina, H. poseidon, Javathyas nasipalpis, Wandesia pelipoda, W. anjozorobensis, Teratothyas (s. str.) digitata, T. (s. str.) aucta, T. (s. str.) proceripapillata, T. (s. str.) planipapillata, T. (Ascoteratothyas) levigata, T. (A.) porrigens, T. (A.) reducta, Teratothyasides heptaplax, T. ravenala and T. vanilla. Previous Madagascan records of Hydrodroma despiciens (Müller, 1776) and H. capensis (K. Viets, 1914) are attributed to H. poseidon. The subgenus Pseudowandesia is synonymized with the nominate subgenus. New locality records for other species include the first recording on the island of Hydrodroma perreptans (K. Viets, 1913) and H. zhokhovi Tuzovskij, 2014. Limnochares connexa Tuzovskij & Gerecke 2009 is redescribed. A dichotomous key leads to species level for the groups treated here, to family level for representatives of the remaining four superfamilies present on Madagascar.

The first records of the subfamily Euthyadinae K. Viets, 1931 (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Hydryphantidae) from China with description of one new species

“…Adults of Heterothyas have four important characteristics: (1) genital field with numerous acetabula; (2) genital field of males separated into anterior and posterior parts and with genital flaps reduced behind second acetabular group; (3) CP much wider than long; (4) I-L-3 of males with two heavy setae (Smit 2020). Adults of Javathyas has two important characteristics: (1) genital field of males separated into anterior and posterior parts, and with genital flaps reduced to fragments; (2) first leg of male highly modified, I-L-3 with a large seta (K. Viets 1935; Cook 1967, 1974; Smit 2009, 2020; Gerecke 2020.…”

“…Membranous strips between dorsal sclerites of T. (L.) compressa K. Viets, 1953 and T. (L.) muscicola (Mitchell, 1953) are narrower than in the males from Anhui (Goldschmidt & Gerecke 2003; Mitchell 1953. Gp of the males from Anhui are relatively long and extend to the frontal margin of third acetabula, while in T. (L.) paracunctans Gerecke, 2020 the gonopore extends to the second acetabula (Gerecke 2020).…”