Stygolimnocharinae Cook, 1967

SmitK, Harry & PešićK, Vladimir, 2024, New records of rare water mites from New Zealand, with the description of a new genus (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 64 (2), pp. 602-611 : 603

Subfamily Stygolimnocharinae Cook, 1967

The water mite family Piersigiidae contains two subfamilies, the Piersigiinae and the Stygolimnocharinae . The Stygolimnocharinae , with the genera Stygolimnochares Cook, 1967 and Parawandesia E. Angelier, 1951 are known from interstitial habitats of India, Australia and Europe ( Cook 1967, 1986 ; Smit 2020). Following Cook (1986) and Smit (2020) the members of the latter subfamily are characterized by a vermiform elongate idiosoma with a single dorsal sclerite with the postocularia. In the new species from New Zealand described here as the type of a new genus, in addition to the unpaired medial sclerite with the postocularia, the dorsum also has a series of symmetrically distributed platelets, which induced us to give a revised diagnosis of this subfamily.

Revised diagnosis —- (after Smit 2020, p. 62) — Idiosoma vermiform elongate, dorsum with a medial elongated sclerite with the postocularia and a series of symmetrically arranged platelets. Eyes absent. Glandularia sclerites completely surrounding the glandularia. Coxae in four groups, the coxae in each group either only lightly fused, somewhat separated or completely fused. Acetabula on two pairs of genital plates or in two rows parallel to the gonopore, acetabula either stalked or not stalked.