Hygrobates Koch, 1837

Smit, Harry, 2005, Water mites of the family Hygrobatidae Koch from southern Africa (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Journal of Natural History 39 (38), pp. 3369-3405 : 3371

Genus Hygrobates Koch, 1837

Capobates Thor new syn.

From southern Africa, species of three subgenera are recorded, i.e. Hygrobates , Capobates , and Hygrobatomegapus. The subgenus Capobates is only known from one species insufficiently described by Thor (1898). Moreover, its only differentiating character is the small acetabula. However, the illustration of these acetabula by Thor (1898) might be the result of an erroneous interpretation by only showing the central part of the acetabulum and not the surrounding sclerotization. In my opinion, this does not warrant a separate subgenus, and I propose to synonymize Capobates with Hygrobates sensu stricto. K. O. Viets (1987) considered Capobates a subgenus incerta, and H. sarsi a species incerta.

Lundblad (1927) erected the genus Hygrobatomegapus based on the slightly bowed I-leg-

6 and the bowed whip-like seta of this segment. In all other characters the new genus was similar to Hygrobates . With more material available, and after studying a part of the type material, it is clear that I-leg-6 shows variation in its shape, from slightly bowed (the holotype) to straight. Gerecke (2000) pointed out the importance of the bowed whip-like seta of I-leg-5. The very small bowed distal seta of I-leg-5 of Hygrobatomegapus is somewhat intermediate between the straight seta of Hygrobates and the large, whip-like seta of Atractides . Therefore, Hygrobatomegapus is considered here as a subgenus of Hygrobates .