Water-mite
Guides
Arrenurus
water mites
Arrenurus is the largest genus of water mites, comprising approximately 950 species with cosmopolitan distribution in lentic freshwater habitats. Adults are heavily sclerotized, predatory, and exhibit marked sexual dimorphism—males possess diagnostic caudal modifications used in mating, while female taxonomy remains problematic. The life cycle includes seven stages: egg, inactive prelarva, parasitic larva, protonymph, deutonymph, tritonymph, and adult. Larvae are ectoparasites of aquatic insects, particularly Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), but also Diptera and Coleoptera, utilizing hosts for both nutrition and phoretic dispersal.
Arrenurus problecornis
Arrenurus problecornis is a species of water mite (family Arrenuridae) described by Cook in 1976. Like other members of the genus Arrenurus, it is part of the subgenus Arrenurus, which is characterized by parasitic larvae that attach to odonate hosts (dragonflies and damselflies). The species belongs to the diverse radiation of water mites (Hydrachnidia), a group comprising over 6,000 species of predatory freshwater arachnids with complex life histories involving parasitic larval stages and free-living predatory adults.
Aturus
Aturus is a genus of water mites in the family Aturidae, first described by Kramer in 1875. These mites are part of the diverse Trombidiformes order, which includes many aquatic and terrestrial predatory mites. The genus has a notably broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents.
Enallagma ebrium
Marsh Bluet
Enallagma ebrium, commonly known as the marsh bluet, is a North American damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is closely related to E. hageni, with which it forms a mosaic spatial distribution pattern across eastern North America. The species is known to host the water mite Limnochares americana, which can affect its survivorship and maturation. Research indicates that adult damselflies exhibit grooming behavior in response to mite parasitism, with responses varying by age, sex, and mite intensity.
Hydrachna
Hydrachna is a genus of water mites comprising over 80 described species and representing the sole genus in the family Hydrachnidae. These mites are obligate aquatic arachnids found in freshwater habitats. The larvae are ectoparasites of aquatic insects, particularly water beetles and water boatmen, attaching to the thorax and abdomen of hosts. Some host species have developed apparent immunity to parasitism after prolonged exposure.
Limnochares americana
Red Freshwater Mite
Limnochares americana is a species of freshwater mite in the family Limnocharidae, first described by Lundblad in 1941. It belongs to the order Trombidiformes, a group that includes many aquatic and terrestrial mites. As a member of the infraorder Hydrachnidia (water mites), this species is adapted to life in freshwater habitats. The common name "Red Freshwater Mite" reflects its aquatic ecology and likely coloration.
Sperchonopsis
Sperchonopsis is a genus of water mites in the family Sperchontidae. The genus was established by Piersig in 1896 and contains species found in Europe and North America. Sperchonopsis phreaticus is the only formally described species currently associated with this genus. These mites belong to the diverse group of prostigmatic mites within the order Trombidiformes.
Torrenticola
Torrenticola is a genus of water mites in the family Torrenticolidae, comprising over 400 described species globally and 90 species in North America alone. These mites are characteristic inhabitants of rocky and sandy streams, where they represent the dominant water mite genus. Recent taxonomic work has demonstrated that color markings, long overlooked by traditional acarology, serve as valuable diagnostic characters for species identification when combined with DNA sequencing and morphological analysis.
Unionicola
Unionicola is a genus of freshwater water mites (family Unionicolidae) described by Haldeman in 1842. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution and comprises parasitic species primarily associated with molluscan hosts, though some species associate with freshwater sponges. Most species infest unionid mussels, while U. crassipes and U. minor are associated with Spongillidae sponges. The mite-host relationship involves consumption of host mucus and tissue, with potential negative effects on host fitness.