Three new species of the marine littoral mite Hyadesia (Parahyadesia) (Astigmata : Hyadesiidae) from southern Africa

The marine mite family Hyadesiidae (Astigmata) comprises two genera (Hyades ia and Amhyadesia) with about 40 species worldwide. The taxon is restricted to littoral/supralitttoral zones, having no true terrestrial representatio n. Collections from across southern Africa, from Elandsbaai on the west coa st to Inhambane (Mozambique) on the east coast, contained three species eac h of Hyadesia Megnin, 1891, and Amhyadesia Fain & Ganning, 1979. The presen t paper describes three new Hyadesia species, which belong to the subgenus Parahyadesia hitherto recorded only from New Zealand and containing four sp ecies. Distributions of two of the southern African Hyadesia (Parahyadesia) species overlap on the warm temperate to tropical southeast coast, whereas the third species is restricted to the cold temperate west coast.