392 
M.S. Harvey 
Mudginberri Billabong, Jabiru Mining Camp, 
12°42'S, 132°54'E, 13 July 1979, R. Marchant (NMV; 
FL). Western Australia: 4d, 3$, billabong on 
Arthur Ck, 135 km N. of Turkey Creek [16°03'S, 
128°21’E], 11 July 1987, M.S. Harvey, A.L. Yen 
(WAM 88/3019-3025; FL). 
Diagnosis 
Male genital field without deep, central pit; 
female genital field with acetabula lying on small, 
scattered plates. Pedipalpal tibia with small, sub- 
distal seta. Anterior claw of male tarsus III strongly 
curved, with ventral clawlet. 
Description 
Adult 
Colour pale blue-green. Glandularia: 5 pairs of 
dorsoglandularia, 4 pairs of lateroglandularia, and 
6 pairs of ventroglandularia present (Figures 90, 
92-93). Dorsum (Figure 92): with 1 pair of dorsalia. 
Venter (Figures 90, 93); apodemes of coxa I very 
short; suture lines between coxae I and II and coxae 
III and IV present; suture lines between coxae III 
and IV extending laterally (<J) or antero-laterally 
(9). Genital region (Figures 91, 94): with 14-23 (6 ), 
11-16 (2) pairs of acetabula; <J genital field fused 
to posterior margin of coxae IV. Chelicera stout. 
Pedipalp (Figures 99-100): segments, especially 
femur and tibia, elongate; tibia with stout, blunt, 
ventral, sub-distal seta; tibia with 1 indistinct disto- 
ventral setiferous tubercle, tubercle often absent in 
2; tarsus with 4 disto-dorsal setae. Legs (Figures 
95-98): d tarsus III with slightly shortened and 
thickened tarsus, and with unequal claws, 
posterior claw long and slender, anterior claw 
strongly curved with ventral clawlets (Figure 96); 
d tibia and metatarsus IV modified, with posterior 
concavity lined with several proximal and 2 distal 
peg-like setae (Figure 98); legs II, III and IV with 
swimming setae arranged as follows: leg II: d, tibia 
0-2, metatarsus 3—4; 2, tibia 1, metatarsus 4—5; leg 
HL d, patella 0-1, tibia 3-5, metatarsus 5-6; 2, 
patella 0-1, tibia 5, metatarsus 6-7; leg IV: d, tibia 
3, metatarsus 5; 2, tibia 3—4, metatarsus 5-7. 
Dimensions (pm), d (9): body 531-704/442-499 
(819-922/589-608); capitulum length 164-186 (203- 
212); chelicera length 198 (193); genital field 70-84/ 
249-287 (160-174/256-275). Pedipalp: trochanter 
25-27 (29-30), femur 173-198 (202-221), patella 86- 
103 (107-121), tibia 166-195 (204-218), tarsus 44-52 
(54-58). Leg I: trochanter 64-68 (79-86), femur 102- 
109 (120-128), patella 133-150 (141-167), tibia 175- 
205 (202-224), metatarsus 211-230 (231-244), tarsus 
188-211 (204-216). Leg III: metatarsus 199-225, 
tarsus 122-126. Leg IV: trochanter 128-134 (148- 
163), femur 97-103 (122-134), patella 134-145 (179- 
192), tibia 173-192 (243-251), metatarsus 220-246 
(257-289), tarsus 176-191 (186-218). 
Deutonymph 
Much as in adults except that vgx is absent; 
genital region with 2 pairs of acetabula. 
Remarks 
Fiona puripalpis belongs to the rotunda species- 
group as defined by Smith (1976). It is known from 
northern and eastern Australia (Figure 52). 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
This work was supported by grants from the 
Australian Biological Resources Study. I wish to 
thank Rhonda Butcher, David Cook, Jenny Davis, 
Michael Gray (AM), John Hawking, Tim Kingston 
(QVM), Torbjorn Kronestedt (SMNH), Brian 
Timms and Elizabeth Turner (TM) for the loan or 
gift of specimens. The Australian National Parks 
and Wildlife Service, the Western Australian 
Department of Conservation and Land 
Management, and the Northern Territory 
Conservation Commission granted permission to 
collect water mites in areas under their control. 
Field work was kindly facilitated by many 
individuals and organisations, most notably the 
Tropical Ecosystems Research Centre, CSIRO, the 
Western Australian Department of Conservation 
and Land Management, John Blyth, Marianne 
McKaige and Alan Andersen. 
REFERENCES 
Besseling, A.J. (1959). Nederlandse Hydrachnellae XL. 
Entomologische Berichlen 19: 20-3. 
Cook, D.R. (1960). Water mites of the genus Fiona in the 
United States (Acarina: Pionidae). Annals of the 
Entomological Society of America 53: 35-60. 
Cook, D.R. (1974). Water mite genera and subgenera. 
Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 21: 1- 
860. 
Cook, D.R. (1986). Water mites from Australia. Memoirs 
of the American Entomological Institute 40: 1-568. 
Halfk, L. (1941). Prispevek k faune Australskych vodulf. 
Sbornik Entomologickdho oddelcni Zemskeho Musea v 
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Harvey, M.S. (1987). New and little-known species of 
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Australia (Chelicerata: Actinedida: Hydryphantidae). 
Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 48: 107-122. 
Harvey, M.S. (1990). Two new water mite genera from 
south-western Australia (Acarina: Aturidae, 
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Harvey, M.S. (1992). The phylogeny and classification of 
the Pseudoscorpionida (Chelicerata: Arachnida). 
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Koch, C.L. (1836). Deutschlands Crustaceen, Myriapoden 
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