| abstract | A new genus and species, Prohericia longipes, are described from a deutonymph collected in Germany. The new genus is related to the genera Herida and Fusohericia. A new subfamily, Hericiinae, is proposed for these genera and placed in the family Algophagidae as the sister-group of the nominate subfamily. Phylogenetic relationships of the Algophagidae are discussed, with the Carpoglyphidae hypothesized as the sister-group of the family and the Hemisarcoptidae and Winterschmidtiidae as more distant outgroups. The Hyadesiidae, which has been considered a closely related family, is demonstrated to be ecologically convergent but only distantly related phylogenetically. |