New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Aspects of the biology and taxonomy of Fiona exigua Viets, a predatory freshwater mite
MARGARET I. BUTLER
CAROLYN W. BURNS
Department of Zoology
University of Otago
P. O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Abstract Laboratory rearing of Fiona exigua Viets was conducted in order to describe aspects of the life history of this freshwater planktonic mite. Unlike the majority of other species in this genus,
P. exigua is not parasitic upon aquatic insects during the larval stage. The predominant developmental pathway followed is that from egg through larva and protonymph stages to the deutonymph while still inside the egg case. Less than 5% of total larvae reared (>400) emerged from the egg case before continuing their development NoPiona larvae were foundas ectoparasites of chironomid imagines caught in the field, while very few larvae were found in the plankton of Lake Hayes. Examination of diagnostic taxonomic features of adult
Piona collected from various South Island sites provided ambiguous results as to the specific classification of the material. It appears that
Piona exigua Viets may cover 1 species with variable features previously regarded as diagnostic. Ashort description of the range of habitats in which this species occurs is included.
Keywords Piona exigua Viets; predatory mites; zooplankton; water mite; life cycles; laboratory rearing; taxonomy; Piona uncata exigua Viets; geographical distribution
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1989, Vol. 23:443-448 0028-8330/89/2303-O443$2.50A) © Crown copyright 1989 Received 15 August 1988; accepted 20 December 1988
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (493K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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