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Issue: Vol. 5621 No. 5: 22 Apr. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-04-22
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5621.5.1
Page range: 501-513
Abstract views: 120
PDF downloaded: 67

Exploring the water mite fauna (Acari, Hydrachnidia) of the Madeira archipelago: DNA Barcoding reveals a remarkable species endemicity

Department of Biology, University of Montenegro, Cetinjski put b.b., 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro.
Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Center of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Szczecin, Wąska 13, 71–415 Szczecin, Poland
Institute of Biology, University of Szczecin, Wąska 13, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Funchal Natural History Museum, R. da Mouraria 31, 9004-546 Funchal, Portugal
Institute of Biology, University of Szczecin, Wąska 13, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology; University of Lodz; Banacha 12/16; 90-237 Łódź; Poland.
Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences; Center of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; University of Szczecin; Wąska 13; 71–415 Szczecin; Poland
Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences; Center of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; University of Szczecin; Wąska 13; 71–415 Szczecin; Poland
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
MARE (Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre) / ARNET (Aquatic Research Network), ARDITI (Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação), Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Madeira, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Pólo dos Açores, UNESCO Chair—Land Within Sea: Biodiversity & Sustainability in Atlantic Islands, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
Acari Macaronesia DNA barcoding islands invasive species endemism

Abstract

Water mites represent the group with the highest degree of endemism among all macroinvertebrates living in freshwater habitats of Madeira. The water mite fauna of this archipelago has been well known for a long time, but until now they have not been molecularly investigated. So far, 25 species of water mites have been recorded, most of them endemic to Madeira. The library presented here covers 584 COI DNA barcodes grouped into 23 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs), which represent the genetic barcodes of 23 species (more than 80% of the known Madeira water mite fauna). Our study shows that COI barcode clusters generated by the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) matches to morphological identifications of specimens, with one exception in the family Lebertiidae. A large-scale comparison of the new sequences with those available in public databases such as BOLD confirmed the uniqueness of the genetic diversity of water mites inhabiting Madeira. Neumania atlantida Lundblad, 1941, a species previously synonymized with N. uncinata Walter, 1927, is resurrected as a valid species. Additionally, genetic data revealed that Sperchon brevirostris Koenike, 1895, a species common in freshwaters of Europe and Macaronesia, consists of multiple genetic lineages, one of which is restricted to Madeira. Finally, our research revealed three species new to the water mite fauna of Madeira, i.e., Hydrachna skorikowi Piersig, 1900, Arrenurus bicuspidator Berlese, 1885 and Lebertia algeriensis Lundblad, 1942. The latter species, found to be common in the running waters of the island, may be the first species of water mite documented as potentially, if not invasive, then non-indigenous in freshwater ecosystems of Madeira.

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How to Cite

Pešić, V., Zawal, A., Bankowska, A., Araújo, R., Sługocki, Łukasz, Rewicz, T., Krakowiak, M., Michoński, G., Girão, D., Silva, L.P.D., Órfão, I., Raposeiro, P.M., Ballini, L., Stryjecki, R., Ekrem, T. & Ferreira, S. (2025) Exploring the water mite fauna (Acari, Hydrachnidia) of the Madeira archipelago: DNA Barcoding reveals a remarkable species endemicity. Zootaxa, 5621 (5), 501–513. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5621.5.1