Abstract
Details of the life-cycle and morphology of Hygrohates nigromaculatus larvae are presented for two populations which originated from different habitats. One population was derived from pools of a lowland stream and the other was isolated from the littoral zone of a eutrophic Baltic lake. In the population originating from the stream, the larvae live by parasitising chironomids, attaching themselves to single abdominal segments of the host. The larvae of the population inhabiting a Baltic lake are not parasitic, and after hatching, they generally remain in the clutches where they develop into nymphs. Furthermore, the larvae of the two populations also differ significantly with regards to their morphology. So far, H. nigromaculatus is the only known water mite species that has been found in both standing and flowing waters and has changed its life-cycle. Due to the differences in their larval morphology and life cycles, H. nigromaculatus is considered a lake-living species and its stream-living relative as a still undescribed sibling species preliminary named H. sp. nov. near nigromaculatus.
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Martin, P., Davids, C. (2002). Life history strategies of Hygrobates nigromaculatus, a widespread palaearctic water mite (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae). In: Bernini, F., Nannelli, R., Nuzzaci, G., de Lillo, E. (eds) Acarid Phylogeny and Evolution: Adaptation in Mites and Ticks. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0611-7_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0611-7_11
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