Records of the Western Australian Museum 18: 1-18 (1996). 
Halacarines (Acari: Halacaridae) from Rottnest Island, Western Australia: 
the genera Agauopsis Viets and Halacaropsis gen. nov. 
Use Bartsch 
Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Notkestrasse 31, 22607 Hamburg, FR Germany 
Abstract - From Rottnest Island, Western Australia, four species of Agauopsis 
(A. aecpiilivestita sp. nov., A. australiensis sp. nov., A. elaborata sp. nov., and 
A. omatella sp. nov.) are described. A. aequilivestita is most similar to the 
African A. punctata Bartsch. A. australiensis and A. ornatella are members of 
the wide-spread microrhyncha and ornata groups respectively. A. elaborata 
belongs to the pugio group, a natural group common in the southern 
hemisphere. The Agauopsis hirsuta group is raised to generic level with Agaue 
hirsuta Trouessart, 1889, as type species, and Halacaropsis capuzina gen. et sp. 
nov. is described. 
INTRODUCTION 
An inventory of the marine fauna in shores and 
shallows of Rottnest Island, Western Australia, 
resulted in the recovery of more than 80 halacarid 
species. The genera, and in parenthesis the number 
of species, found to date are: Actacarus Schulz (3), 
Agaue Lohmann (4), Agauopsis Viets (5), 
Arhodeoportis Newell (4), Anomalohalacarus Newell 
(1) , Australacarus Bartsch (1), Bradyagaue Newell (1), 
Copidognathus Trouessart (ca 30), Halacarellus Viets 
(2) , Halacaropsis gen. nov. (1), Halacarus Gosse (11), 
Lohmannella Trouessart (2), Phacacarus Bartsch (1), 
Rhombognalhus Trouessart (10), Scaptognathides 
Monniot (1), Scaptognathus Trouessart (3), 
Simognathus Trouessart (7), and Werthella Lohmann 
(1). Studies in other areas of Western Australia and 
other substrata than studied around Rottnest 
Island are expected to raise the number of species 
and genera. In the present paper, four species of 
Agauopsis and one of Halacaropsis are described. 
MATERIAL AND METHODS 
In January 1991, the halacarid fauna of Rottnest 
Island, Western Australia, was surveyed. Various 
substrata, 10-500 cm 3 each, were taken to the 
laboratory and the halacarids extracted by washing 
with a strong jet of water over a 100 pm sieve. 
The mites were cleared in lactic acid and 
mounted in glycerine jelly. Drawings were 
prepared using a camera lucida. Holotypes and 
paratypes are deposited in the Western Australian 
Museum, Perth (WAM), other material in the 
Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra 
(ANIC), the Zoological Institute and Zoological 
Museum, Hamburg (Z1MH) and the author's 
halacarid collection. 
Abbreviations used in the description and 
figures: a, alveolus; acp, accessory process; AD, 
anterior dorsal plate; ads, adanal setae (sixth pair 
of dorsal setae); AE, anterior epimeral plate; al, 
articular lamella; AP, anal plate; c, carina-like 
lamella; ca, canaliculi; cav, cavity; cp, central pit; 
dd, denticles; dl, dorsal lamella; ds, dorsal setae on 
idiosoma, ds-1, first pair of dorsal seta, ds-5, fifth 
pair of dorsal seta, ds-6, sixth pairs of setae (adanal 
setae); E, epimera; ep, epimeral pore; fa, lamella 
with famulus; GA, genitoanal plate; glp, gland 
pore; GO, genital opening; mcl, membrane of claw 
fossa; OC, ocular plate(s); ov, ovipositor; P, palp, 
P-2, second palpal segment; pa, porose areola; pas, 
parambulacral seta(e); pco, porose costa; PD, 
posterior dorsal plate; pds, pore from dorsal seta; 
PE, posterior epimeral plate; ri, ridge; sc, skeletal 
bars; so, solenidion; sp, spermatopositor; spl, 
spine-like lamella; spt, spermatheca; t, tines of 
pecten; vl, ventral lamella; vll, ventrolateral 
lamella. Legs numbered 1 to IV, leg segments 1 to 
6 , 1-1, trochanter of leg I; II-2, basifemur of leg II; 
III-3, telofemur of leg III; IV-4, genu of leg IV; 1-5, 
tibia of leg I; 1-6, tarsus of leg I. 
SYSTEMATICS 
Genus Agauopsis Viets 
Agauopsis Viets, 1927: 94. 
Type species 
Agaue brevipalpus Trouessart, 1889, by original 
designation. 
Diagnosis 
Idiosoma flattened, wide. Dorsum with AD, OC, 
PD and six, rarely five, pairs of idiosomatic setae; 
