Kongsbergia Thor, 1899

Radwell, Andrea J. & Smith, Ian M., 2012, North American members of the reticulata-like species group of the water mite genus Kongsbergia (Acari: Hydrachnidiae: Aturidae), Zootaxa 3540, pp. 1-49 : 3

Genus Kongsbergia Thor, 1899

Kongsbergia, Thor 1899 . Forelobig Meddelelse, Kristiania pp. 1–5.

Kongsbergia, Cook, 1974 . Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 21, 359.

Kongsbergia, Viets, 1987 . Die Milben des Süsswassers (Hydrachnellae und Halacaridae [part.], Acari ). 2. Katalog. Sonderbände des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Hamburg 8, 412.

Kongsbergia, Cramer, 2000 . International Journal of Acarology, 26, 271–273.

Type species. Kongsbergia materna Thor. Monobasic.

Diagnosis. (from Radwell et al. 2011). Character states of Aturidae , subfamily Aturinae . Dorsal and ventral shields completely separate in both sexes. Idiosoma of males usually without a cauda, rarely with a short cauda. Dorsal shield bearing numerous (up to twelve) pairs of glandularia; excretory pore usually borne on dorsal shield in both sexes, rarely on a separate platelet in male. Ventral shield bearing 3 pairs of glandularia; coxal plates fused together with suture lines obliterated medially. Anterior coxal plates projecting beyond anterior edge of dorsal shield; lateral projections of fourth coxae partially covering insertions of fourth legs. Fourth coxal plates lacking glandularia; genital acetabula numerous and arranged in rows on posterolateral edges of ventral shield. Pedipalps of males stockier than those of females; segments variable in length; femur with or without ventral projections. Legs lacking swimming setae. Fourth leg of males with distal segments highly modified, basifemur often with a hook-like ventral projection, tibia expanded and bearing one or two blade-like setae ventrally. Tibia of first and second legs with or without thickened, curved setae.

Habitat. Rocky riffles and hyporheic gravels in streams.

Distribution. Temperate North America, Central America and northern South America (Columbia) in the New World and temperate Europe and Asia and most of Africa in the Old World.

Remarks. Cook (1974) recognized four subgenera based on degree of caudal development, position of excretory pore, and presence or absence of thickened setae on the tibia of first and second legs. A fifth subgenus Crocokongsbergia was subsequently proposed by Orghidan and Gruia (1983) to accommodate two highly modified species from Cuba. As mentioned previously, the currently used subgeneric classification does not adequately reflect natural groupings of Kongsbergia species and requires revision.