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Issue: Vol. 5799 No. 1: 24 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-24
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5799.1.8
Page range: 157-170
Abstract views: 59
PDF downloaded: 4

Integrative taxonomy uncovers two new pontarachnid mite species from the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea (Pontarachnidae, Hydrachnidia, Acari)

Department of Biology; University of Montenegro; Cetinjski put b.b.; 81000 Podgorica; Montenegro
Institute of Biology; University of Szczecin; 71-415 Szczecin; Waska 13; Poland
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology; University of Lodz; Banacha 12/16; 90-237 Łódź; Poland
Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences; University of Szczecin; 71-415 Szczecin; Waska 13; Poland
University of Education; Bank Road Campus; Punjab; Pakistan
Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences; University of Szczecin; 71-415 Szczecin; Waska 13; Poland
Acari water mites taxonomy Mediterranean Sea red Sea marine environments

Abstract

The diversity of Pontarachnidae, the only family of hydrachnid mites occurring in marine environments, remains poorly documented morphologically and molecularly in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent marine ecosystems, including the Red Sea. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we described two new species: Litarachna cypriotica sp. nov. from the eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus) and Pontarachna goldschmidti sp. nov. from the Red Sea (Egypt). Interspecific K2P genetic distances exceeded 17% for both new species. Species boundaries were consistently supported across all applied species delimitation analyses. In addition, the presence of Litarachna smiti Pešić, Chatterjee & Ahmed Abada, 2008 was molecularly confirmed for Egypt for the first time, and Pontarachna punctulum Philippi, 1840 was proposed to be removed from the list of Red Sea pontarachnid mites. This study underscores the largely unexplored diversity of pontarachnid mites and highlights the importance of molecular approaches in elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms underlying this diversity.

 

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How to Cite

Pešić, V., Bańkowska, A., Rewicz, T., Górecka, E., Asif, M. & Zawal, A. (2026) Integrative taxonomy uncovers two new pontarachnid mite species from the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea (Pontarachnidae, Hydrachnidia, Acari). Zootaxa, 5799 (1), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5799.1.8