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The Limnesiidae is a family of water mites in the superfamily Lebertioidea. There are five genera in Australia: Heterolimnesia (1 sp., NSW, Vic, Tas, SA); Limnesia (25 spp., Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas, WA, NT); Physolimnesia (2 spp., Qld, NSW, NT); Timmsilimnesia (1 sp., Qld, NT); Tubophorella (2 spp., NSW, Vic, and other records from Qld (HCP)).

Like the Hygrobatidae, the Limnesiidae are morphologically diverse and difficult to diagnose at the familial level. All limnesiids have their genital acetabula (typically 3 pairs) on the outer surface of their genital flaps. In females, the flaps are movable, whereas in males of most species the flaps are fused apically and posteriorly to form a ring. Limnesiids also lack claws on their tarsi IV. Most limnesiids have a seta (sometimes set in a tubercle) on the ventral side of the second palp segment, but this is absent in a number of species. The genus Tubophorella has its mouthparts set at the end of a long extensible tube, a character shared with Rhynchaustrobates (Hygrobatidae).

Limnesiids live in both standing and flowing water.

References

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.