Unionicola (Hexatax) minor ( Soar, 1900 )

Chatterjee, Tapas, 2021, A checklist of halacarid and hydrachnid mites (Acari, Halacaridae & Hydrachnidia) associated with sponges (Porifera), Zootaxa 5072 (2), pp. 101-129 : 115-116

Unionicola (Hexatax) minor ( Soar, 1900)

Report associated with sponges: This species was reported among Spongillidae ( Hevers 1980) ; nymph materials were obtained association with sponges ( Hevers 1979). A description of the annual cycles of U. crassipes and U. minor was given by collecting samples in the field and by breeding different stages from sponge materials of Netherlands (Davids et al. 1979).

Remarks: Unionicola minor was described by Soar (1900) as a subspecies of U. crassipes (M ü ller). Hevers (1975, 1977, 1978) thoroughly reviewed its systematic position and established U. minor as a species distinct from U. crassipes . Molecular analysis of these water mites was done and confirmed U. minor as valid species ( Stalstedt et al. 2013).