Three new species of the marine littoral mite Hyadesia (Parahyadesia) (Astigmata: Hyadesiidae) from southern Africa

Abstract

The marine mite family Hyadesiidae (Astigmata) comprises two genera (Hyadesia and Amhyadesia) with about 40 species worldwide. The taxon is restricted to littoral/supralittoral zones, having no true terrestrial representation. Collections from across southern Africa, from Elandsbaai on the west coast to Inhambane (Mozambique) on the east coast, contained three species each of Hyadesia Mégnin, 1891, and Amhyadesia Fain & Ganning, 1979. The present paper describes three new Hyadesia species, which belong to the subgenus Parahyadesia hitherto recorded only from New Zealand and containing four species. Distributions of two of the southern African Hyadesia (Parahyadesia) species overlap on the warm temperate to tropical southeast coast, whereas the third species is restricted to the cold temperate west coast.