| abstract | Litarachna madagascariensis, a new species of the marine water mite family Pontarachnidae (Acari: Hydrachnidia), is described from a coastal lake in Southeast Madagascar. From the most similar species, i.e. Litarachna smiti Pešić et al., 2008 and L. bartschae Smit, 2003, sharing a ventral projection on P-2 and the setal tubercle and peg-like seta on P-4, the new species can be distinguished by the combination of the glandularium-like structure fused with Cx-IV and, restricted to males, the medial apodemes of Cx-IV not extending beyond the anterior margin of the genital field and a moderate number of perigenital setae (19-21 pairs). The total number of Pontarachnidae species worldwide tallies now to 44 species. |