Hydryphantidae

Male Protzia eximia, copyright Holger Müller.

Belongs within: Hydrachnidia.
Contains: Euthyadinae, Hydryphantes, Wandesia, Neohydrachnidia, Neocalonyx.

The Hydryphantidae are a group of mostly sluggish water mites adapted for crawling in aquatic vegetation and detritus (Walter et al. 2009). A recent molecular phylogenetic study suggests that this family is paraphyletic to the Neohydrachnidia clade (Dabert et al. 2016). The family is divided between several subfamilies with members of the Wandesiinae and Tartarothyas have the lateral eyes reduced or absent.

Characters (from Walter et al. 2009): Adults with chelicera two-segmented; palpi chelate with dorsodistal portion of tibia bearing a short, thick seta extending beyond base of tarsus; idiosoma usually with varying degrees of plate or platelet development dorsally; genital acetabula conspicuous. Larvae with lateral eyes borne on separate platelets; movable digit of chelicera less than 1/3 length of basal segement; palptarsus with all setae slender; legs with six movable segments, with basifemur and telofemur separated; coxal plates II located near midlength of idiosoma with insertions of legs III located anterolaterally and legs III directed laterally; leg tarsi with unmodified claws and empodium; solenidia on leg tarsi slender.

<==Hydryphantidae
    |--Hydryphantinae WL09
    |    |--Hydrobaderia ilicaensis WL09
    |    `--Hydryphantes DPD16
    `--+--Wandesiinae WL09
       |    |--Wandesia DPD16
       |    `--Euwandesia André & Naudo 1962 RFF05
       |         |--E. sensitiva André & Naudo 1962 RFF05
       |         |--E. tenebrio Hopkins & Schminke 1970 S86
       |         `--E. vietsella Besch 1963 S86
       `--+--Chimerathyas [Chimerothyadinae] DPD16
          |    `--C. cooki WL09
          `--+--Neohydrachnidia DPD16
             `--Protziinae WL09
                  |--Neocalonyx WL09
                  |--Partnunia WL09
                  |    |--P. regalis GS96
                  |    `--P. steinmanni DW10
                  `--Protzia Piersig 1896 DPD16, RFF05
                       |--P. eximia S86
                       |--P. invalvaris Piersig 1898 VBB91
                       |--P. lata GS96
                       |--P. rotunda CS91
                       `--P. salsa Goldschmidt & Gerecke 2003 RFF05

Hydryphantidae incertae sedis:
  Eupatra rotunda Piersig 1906 V25
  Cyclothyas [Cyclothyadinae] WL09
  Mamersa Koenike 1898 H98 [Mamersinae WL09]
    `--M. corndorl Harvey 1988 H98
  Cowichania Smith 1983 S86 [Cowichaniinae WL09]
    `--C. interstitialis Smith 1983 S86
  Eupatrella Walter 1935 RFF05 [Eupatrellinae WL09]
    `--E. platano Goldschmidt & Gerecke 2003 RFF05
  Ankelothyas Besch 1964 RFF05 [Ankelothyadinae WL09]
    `--A. emydoides Besch 1964 RFF05
  Tartarothyas Viets 1934 H98 [Tartarothyadinae WL09]
    |--T. boultoni Harvey 1987 H98
    |--T. fonticola (Motas & Tanasachi 1957) S86
    `--T. micrommata Viets 1934 S86
  Diplodontus Dugès 1834 H98 [Diplodontinae WL09]
    |--D. despiciens D01
    |--D. haliki Lundblad 1947 H98
    |--D. mandibulatus Lundblad 1947 H98
    `--D. semiperforatus WP99
  Pseudohydryphantinae WL09
    |--Cyclohydryphantes Lundblad 1941 WL09, H98
    |    |--C. mutarnee Harvey 1987 H98
    |    `--C. trabeculiferus Lundblad 1941 H98
    `--Pseudohydryphantes Viets 1907 H98
         |--P. amatus Cook 1986 H98
         |--P. aroona Harvey 1988 H98
         |--P. bebelus Cook 1983 H98
         |--P. cooki Harvey 1987 H98
         |--P. crassipes Cook 1986 H98
         |--P. doegi Harvey 1987 H98
         |--P. mataranka Harvey 1988 H98
         |--P. occabus Harvey 1987 H98
         |--P. stylatus Cook 1986 H98
         |--P. vepres Harvey 1987 H98
         `--P. wangai Harvey 1988 H98
  Euthyadinae WL09

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[CS91] Cicolani, B., & A. Di Sabatino. 1991. Sensitivity of water mites to water pollution. In: Dusbábek, F., & V. Bukva (eds) Modern Acarology: Proceedings of the VIII International Congress of Acarology, held in České Budĕjovice, Czechoslovakia, 6–11 August 1990 vol. 1 pp. 465–474. SPB Academic Publishing: The Hague.

[DPD16] Dabert, M., H. Proctor & J. Dabert. 2016. Higher-level molecular phylogeny of the water mites (Acariformes: Prostigmata: Parasitengonina: Hydrachnidiae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 101: 75–90.

[DW10] Dabert, M., W. Witalinski, A. Kazmierski, Z. Olszanowski & J. Dabert. 2010. Molecular phylogeny of acariform mites (Acari, Arachnida): strong conflict between phylogenetic signal and long-branch attraction artifacts. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 56 (1): 222–241.

[D01] Daday, E. 1901. Édesvizi mikroszkópi állatok [Mikroskopische Süsswasserthiere]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 375–470. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[GS96] Gerecke, R., & A. Di Sabatino. 1996. Historical zoogeography and evolution of habitat preference in water mites (Hydracarina) of the central Mediterranean region. In: Mitchell, R., D. J. Horn, G. R. Needham & W. C. Welbourn (eds) Acarology IX vol. 1. Proceedings pp. 523–527. Ohio Biological Survey: Columbus (Ohio).

[H98] Halliday, R. B. 1998. Mites of Australia: A checklist and bibliography. CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood.

[RFF05] Rosso de Ferradás, B. & H. R. Fernández. 2005. Elenco y biogeografía de los ácaros acuáticos (Acari, Parasitengona, Hydrachnidia) de Sudamérica. Graellsia 61 (2): 181–224.

[S86] Schwoerbel, J. 1986. Acari: “Hydrachnellae”. In: Botosaneanu, L. (ed.) Stygofauna Mundi: A Faunistic, Distributional, and Ecological Synthesis of the World Fauna inhabiting Subterranean Waters (including the Marine Interstitial) pp. 652–696. E. J. Brill/Dr W. Backhuys: Leiden.

[VBB91] Valdecasas, A. G., A. Baltanás & E. Bello. 1991. A preliminary assessment of single rocks for sampling water mites. In: Dusbábek, F., & V. Bukva (eds) Modern Acarology: Proceedings of the VIII International Congress of Acarology, held in České Budĕjovice, Czechoslovakia, 6–11 August 1990 vol. 1 pp. 503–507. SPB Academic Publishing: The Hague.

[V25] Vitzthum, H. 1925. Fauna sumatrensis. (Beitrag no. 5). Acarinae. Supplementa Entomologica 11: 1–79.

[WL09] Walter, D. E., E. E. Lindquist, I. M. Smith, D. R. Cook & G. W. Krantz. 2009. Order Trombidiformes. In: Krantz, G. W., & D. E. Walter (eds) A Manual of Acarology 3^rd ed. pp. 233–420. Texas Tech University Press.

[WP99] Walter, D. E., & H. C. Proctor. 1999. Mites: Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour. CABI Publishing: Wallingford (UK).

Last updated: 17 July 2022.