Hydryphantidae Piersig, 1896

Martin, Peter, 2006, On the morphology and classification of larval water mites (Hydrachnidia, Acari) from springs in Luxembourg, Zootaxa 1138, pp. 1-44 : 4

Hydryphantidae Piersig, 1896

Diagnosis: Dorsal plate (Dp) of unengorged larvae rather small, covering less than one third of the length of the idiosoma and bearing 2 or 4 pairs of propodosomal setae; lateral eyes on each side lying separately in the soft integument; humeral, hysterosomal and ventral setae often borne on platelets of different extent, the platelets sometimes being barely visible; coxal plates I to III rather small, separate and with 3 or 4 pairs of coxal setae; cheliceral bases separated from each other; palpal claw single or bifurcate; legs I to III six­segmented and each leg with three claws of which the lateral claws are extremely thin; distal segments of legs I to III very narrow distally.

Remarks: Since the presence of the dorsal plate has obviously been overlooked in past descriptions of many hydryphantoid larvae (e.g. Lundblad 1927; Biesiadka & Cichocka 1984; Ullrich 1976; Martin 2000), it remains open whether the presence of a Dp is actually a family­specific character of the Hydryphantidae .

Because of the few accurate descriptions of larvae within the family, at present, a diagnosis can be given neither for subfamilies nor for genera of the Hydryphantidae .