Piersigiinae

MM049999

The Piersigiidae is a family of water mites in the superfamily Eylaoidea. There are two subfamilies and two genera in Australia.

The Piersigiinae is represented in Australia by the genus Austrapiersigia (1 sp., Vic). It can be separated by other piersigiids by its possession of lateral eyes in external capsules and numerous dorsal sclerites.

Austrapiersigia has been collected from interstitial stream habitats.

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.

Smit, H. 1998. A new genus of the water mite family Piersigiidae from Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia). Rec. West. Aust. Mus. 19: 100-107 [I think].