Water mites from West Africa (Acari: Hydrachnidia)

Abstract

Abstract. Ten new species of water mites are described from Ghana, i.e. Limnesia (Limnesia) stagnalis n. sp. (Limnesiidae), Hygrobatopsis (?) convexipalpis n. sp., Hygrobatopsis (Hygrobatopsis) pauciglandulosa n. sp., Hygrobates (Hygrobates) dentipalpis n. sp., Hygrobates (Hygrobates) pseudoniloticus n. sp. (Hygrobatidae), Neumania (Soarella) fusiformis n. sp., Neumania (Soarella) ghanaensis n. sp., Unionicola heversi n. sp. (Unionicolidae), Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) chutteri ankasa n. sp. and Arrenurus (Micruracarus) circulodorsalis n. sp. (Arrenuridae). Three subspecies are raised to full species, i.e. Mamersa expansa Cook, 1979 nov. stat. (Hydryphantidae), H. coriaceus (Lundblad, 1952) nov. stat. (Hygrobatidae) and Nyangalla (Ecpolopella) acuticaudata K. Viets, 1916 nov. stat. (Unionicolidae). Ecpolus dorsofenestratus Lundblad, 1949 is synonymized with Neumania (Alloneumania) marginata (K. Viets, 1916). The adults of Hygrobatopsis (Hygrobatopsella) inflatus (K. Viets, 1925), a species know thus far as deutonymph only, the females of Tubophora limnesioides Walter, 1935, Hygrobates niloticus Walter, 1922, Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) geniculatus Koenike 1898 and Momonides ghanaensis Smit, 2012, and the male of Piona damasiella Cook, 1966 are described for the first time. Many new records are presented for Ghana and the Gambia.