Biometrics and Chaetotaxy of the Larvae of the Water Mite <i>Piona uncata</i> Koenike from Northeastern Algeria

Water mites are arthropods recently classified as parasites. These parasites live in all types of water, often associated with plants. They have evolved with certain groups of insects in freshwater ecosystems, interacting closely with them throughout all stages of their life cycles.To develop a reliable identification of the species Piona uncata Koenike 1888, collected from two protected sites, the Roman Ruin of Annaba and Lake Tonga, we undertook several measurements (lengths and widths) of 27 morphological structures of twenty larvae. Statistical analysis (Student's "T" test and multivariate ANOVA analysis) of the results showed significant differences in the distribution of bristles on the leg segments. Regarding biometric characteristics the differences were significant; highly significant and very highly significant.