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The Anisitsiellidae is a family of water mites in the superfamily Lebertioidea. Four genera of anisitsiellids occur in Australia: Anisitsiellides (5 spp., NSW, Vic, Tas), Mamersella (1 sp., SA), Rutacarus (2 spp., Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas), and Sigthoria (1 sp., Qld, Vic, NT).

Australian anisitsiellids can be recognised by the following combination of characters: no claws on the tarsi of legs IV; genital flaps covering the acetabula; dorso-ventrally flattened, heavily sclerotised body.

Anisitsiellids occur in both standing and flowing water, surficial and interstitial, and one undescribed species of Anisitsiellides has been collected from water-filled leaf axils of Richea pandanifolia (Epacridaceae) in Tasmania (Harvey 1998).

References

Harvey, M.S. 1990. A review of the water mite family Anisitsiellidae in Australia (Acarina). Invert. Taxon. 3: 629-646.

Cook, D.R. 1986. Water mites from Australia. Mem. Amer. Ent. Inst. 40: 1-568.

Harvey, M.S. 1998. The Australian Water Mites: a Guide to Families and Genera. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Vic.