''Unionicola'' is a genus of freshwater
arachnids
Arachnida () is a Class (biology), class of joint-legged invertebrate animals (arthropods), in the subphylum Chelicerata. Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, opiliones, harvestmen, Solifugae, came ...
, belonging to the family
Unionicolidae.
The genus was described in 1842 by
Samuel Stehman Haldeman
Samuel Stehman Haldeman (August 12, 1812 – September 10, 1880) was an American naturalist and philologist.
During a long and varied career he studied, published, and lectured on geology, conchology, entomology and philology. He once confided, ...
.
The genus has
cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...
.
Most ''Unionicola'' are associated with mollusks, but ''
Unionicola crassipes'' and ''
Unionicola minor'' are associated with sponges of family
Spongillidae
Spongilidae is a family of sponges that live in freshwater lakes and rivers. The following genera are recognized in the family:
* ''Anheteromeyenia'' Schröder, 1927
* ''Corvoheteromeyenia'' Ezcurra de Drago, 1979
* ''Corvospongilla'' Annandale, ...
.
The association with mussels can be described as symbiotic. There is evidence that mites consume host tissue
and can be associated with reduced host fitness, although the causal direction of the latter remains unclear.
Species include the following:
* ''
Unionicola gracilipalpis''
* ''
Unionicola figuralis''
* ''
Unionicola crassipes''
* ''
Unionicola aculeata''
* ''
Unionicola ypsilophora'' (Bonz, 1783)
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4645080
Trombidiformes
Acari genera
Taxa named by Samuel Stehman Haldeman