On the morphology and classification of larval water mites (Hydrachnidia, Acari) from springs in Luxembourg
Author
Martin, Peter
text
Zootaxa
2006
1138
1
44
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.172007
bd92c31d-534c-4bb2-a395-fb69e7ab01a9
11755326
172007
Hydryphantidae Piersig, 1896
Diagnosis: Dorsal plate (Dp) of unengorged larvae rather small, covering less than one third of the length of the idiosoma and bearing 2 or 4 pairs of propodosomal setae; lateral eyes on each side lying separately in the soft integument; humeral, hysterosomal and ventral setae often borne on platelets of different extent, the platelets sometimes being barely visible; coxal plates I to III rather small, separate and with 3 or 4 pairs of coxal setae; cheliceral bases separated from each other; palpal claw single or bifurcate; legs I to III sixsegmented and each leg with three claws of which the lateral claws are extremely thin; distal segments of legs I to III very narrow distally.
Remarks: Since the presence of the dorsal plate has obviously been overlooked in past descriptions of many hydryphantoid larvae (e.g.
Lundblad 1927
;
Biesiadka & Cichocka 1984
;
Ullrich 1976
;
Martin 2000
), it remains open whether the presence of a Dp is actually a familyspecific character of the
Hydryphantidae
.
Because of the few accurate descriptions of larvae within the family, at present, a diagnosis can be given neither for subfamilies nor for genera of the
Hydryphantidae
.