Family PONTARACHNIDAE Koenike, 1910

Museums

Regional Maps

• Pontarachninae Koenike, F. 1910. Ein Acarinen- insbesondere Hydracarinen-system nebst hydracarinologischen Berichtigungen. Abhandlungen Herausgegeben vom Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein zu Bremen 20: 121-164.

Introduction

The Pontarachnidae is a small family of water mites that includes two genera and fewer than 20 species. Most species are found in the marine littoral zone, with a few in fresh water (Smit 2003; Walter et al. 2009). The Australian fauna was briefly reviewed by Harvey (1998), and Smit (2003) more than doubled the number of known species in a single study. Adults of the known species have been collected from intertidal mud and sand, sometimes asociated with algae and coral. The larvae are unknown.

General References

Harvey, M.S. 1998. The Australian Water Mites. A Guide to the Families and Genera. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 150 pp.

Smit, H. 2003. Five new species of the water mite family Pontarachnidae from Western Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia). pp. 547–562 in Wells, F.E., Walker, D.I. & Jones, D.S. The Marine Flora and Fauna of Dampier, Western Australia. Proceedings of the Eleventh International Marine Biological Workshop. Perth : Western Australian Museum Vol. 2.

Walter, D.E., Lindquist, E.E., Smith, I.M., Cook, D.R. & Krantz, G.W. 2009. Order Trombidiformes. pp. 233-420 in Krantz, G.W. & Walter, D.E. (eds). A Manual of Acarology. Lubbock, Texas : Texas Tech University Press Third edition, 807 pp.

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