Corresponding author: Yunus Esen (
Academic editor: A. Bochkov
In this study, the findings of three water mite species of the family Hygrobatidae collected from different streams in Turkey were evaluated.
After the family
During a survey of the freshwater fauna of Kahramanmaraş, Malatya and Siirt Provinces, Turkey, three interesting species for the Turkish fauna were collected. This article aims to describe this material and contribute to our knowledge of water mites distribution in Turkey.
During fieldwork, water mites were collected by hand netting, sorted on the spot from the living material, conserved in Koenike’s fluid and dissected as described elsewhere (e.g.,
The composition of the material is given as: (males/females/deutonymphs). All measurements are given in micrometers. For a detailed description and discussion of the characteristics of the genus = above sea level = first acetabulum = first coxae = dorsal length = height = length = relative length = Leg 1, sixth segment (tarsus) = medial length = palp, first segment = large proximal ventral seta at I-L-5 = large distal ventral seta at I-L-5 = ventroglandulare = ventrale = width
Holotype: male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer’s fluid, Turkey: Kahramanmaraş Province, Çağlayancerit, Göksu stream,
Integument lineated. P-2 ventral margin straight, distally forming a right angle; P-4 ventral setae at the same level.
General features: Integument lineated, occassionaly lines formed as irregular ridges (
Male (holotype, in parentheses measurements of paratype, n = 5): Idiosoma L/W 960/810 (720–1115/645–940); coxal field (
Female (n = 5): Idiosoma L/W 720–1507/540–1250; coxal field (
Due to the shape of palp with a straight ventral margin of P-2, distally forming a right angle, the new species closely resembles
Due to the shape of the genital field, population from Göksu stream resembles populations of
Named after the country of the type locality.
Rhithrobiont.
Known only from the type locality in Kahramanmaraş Province, Turkey.
Turkey,Malatya Province, Doğanşehir, Avcapınar stream,
Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt, Germany,
General characters. Posteromedial margin of Cx-I convexly rounded, medial margin of Cx-IV rounded; genital field with 8–13 pairs of acetabula. Ventral margin P-2 proximally concave, distally protruding in a nose- or knob-shaped projection bearing denticles, distal part of P-3 ventral margin covered by denticles, P-4 ventral setae distance 14–19 µm.
Male (n =3):Idiosoma L 805–890 W 690–783; median length of Cx-I + gnathosoma 232–240. Genital field (
Female (n =5): Idiosoma L 815–1058 W 670–910; median length of Cx-I + gnathosoma 243–248; genital plate (
The second member of subgenus
Rhithrobiont.
Russia (Caucasus). New for Turkey.
Siirt Province, Kezer stream,
General features. Integument dorsally finely striated; muscle attachment plates unsclerotized. Coxal field: mediocaudal margin of Cx-I+II with a slightly concave or convex area between the laterally directed apodemes of Cx-II. Palp: weak sexual dimorphism, P-2 and P-3 ventral margin straight; P-4 with maximum height near proximoventral hair, sword seta near distoventral hair, ventral margin divided by hair insertions 1:1:1. Genital field with Ac in a weakly curved line; excretory pore smooth; Vgl-1 separate from Vgl-2. I-L-5: S-1 and -2 strongly heteromorphic and widely distanced, S-2 strongly thickened in the basal third; I-L-6 strongly curved, basally thickened.
Male (n = 2). Idiosoma L 470–527 W 420–432. Coxal field (
Female (n = 5). Idiosoma L 745–760 W 640–652. Coxal field (
Due to the similar morphology of the genital field (relatively small Ac arranged in a weakly curved line, male genital field apple-shaped with anterior an posterior margin slightly indented), I-L-5 and -6 (S-1 and S-2 with relatively wide setal interspace, I-L-6 strongly curved and slender) and palp (without sexual dimorphism, P-2 ventral margin straight in the both sexes), the specimens from Turkey shows conformity with
Rhithrobiont.
Iran (
This study was supported by FUBAP-1794 and FF-12-15 projects, Fırat University, Elazığ. The second author is thankful to Dr Peter Martin (Kiel, Germany) for getting valuable informations on the morphology of