Studies on European species of the water mite family Aturidae Thor (Acari: Hydrachnidia).

Selected water mite species of the family Aturidae are revised. The following synonyms are established: Aturus intermedius serrata K. Viets, 1922 = A. asserculatus Walter, 1906; A. lelgioensis Rensburg, 1971 = A. natangensis Protz, 1900; A. oudemansi Besseling, 1932 = A. intermedius Protz, 1900. The proposal of E. Angelier (1965), to synonymize A. paucisetus Motaş & Tanasachi, 1946 with A. brachypus K. Viets, 1934 is rejected. Aturus elongatus Walter, 1927 (described after females, type material heavily damaged) and Ljania bipapillata subterranea Schwoerbel, 1964 (no type material available, no type locality defined) are considered as species incertae. Ljania macilenta longissima Schwoerbel, 1962 is redescribed and elevated to species rank. Two species of the genus Kongsbergia are described as new to science from interstitial habitats in the Central Mediterranean: K. albanorum sp. nov. from Western Sicily and K. jaentschi sp. nov. from Sicily and Sardinia. Woolastookia basilicalabrica sp. nov. is described from mountain streams in Southern Italy. Numerous new records are given, extending noteworthy the known distribution area of several species in Southern Europe. Aturus rotundus Romijn, 1921, Kongsbergia dentata Walter, 1947 and K. simillima K. Viets, 1949 are recorded for the first time from Italy, K. pectinigera Motaş & Tanasachi, 1946 from France and Italy; first records from Corsica are given for Aturus intermedius and A. spatulifer Piersig, 1904. Lectotypes are designated for Aturus asserculatus Walter, 1906; A. asserculatus serratus K. Viets, 1922; A. oudemansi Besseling, 1932.