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Poorginup Swamp Watermite (Acercella poorginup)

The Poorginup Swamp Watermite is a freshwater mite in the group Hydracarina, recorded from the Poorginup Swamp area of Western Australia. Its detailed biology is poorly known, so works near wetlands in its known range should include careful habitat checks. It is listed as DBCA Priority 2 in Western Australia.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Priority 2.

Seasonal planning

Seasonal activity, breeding and survey information for this species is not known.

Seasonal knowledge: No months are documented for activity, breeding or movement.

Planning approach: Treat work timing as a planning matter and arrange habitat assessment or survey advice before disturbance.

No species-specific seasonal data are available.

  • Survey and work planning: No seasonal pattern is known. Treat any proposed work period as requiring appropriate wetland checks; this is a planning window only, not evidence of year-round activity.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Poorginup Swamp Watermite is a water mite, but its diagnostic features have not been documented.

Acercella poorginup is a water mite in Hydracarina. Its colour, body form, diagnostic characters and size have not been documented.

  • Do not identify the species from appearance alone when diagnostic features are unavailable.

Identification: Similar species

Similar species and distinguishing features have not been documented.

  • Seek confirmation from a suitably qualified aquatic invertebrate specialist if a specimen may be this species.

Identification: Field signs

No species-specific field signs are known. There is no documented structure, trace or other sign for detecting the species without sampling.

Distribution: Known range

The known distribution is very restricted, with records associated with Poorginup Swamp.

Atlas of Living Australia records show six Western Australian records from one distinct 0.1-degree location, at approximately latitude -34.6 and longitude 116.7. Records outside Western Australia were excluded as likely errors.

Poorginup Swamp is named in the species' common name and is a wetland in the Lake Muir area. The records do not establish that the species occurs throughout the swamp.

Distribution: WA regions and status

The DBCA list flags the Warren region. The DBCA category is Priority 2, for a poorly known species known from few locations, with some on conservation lands.

This is a DBCA priority category, not a listing under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. There is no national listing.

Habitat: Recorded setting

Poorginup Swamp is the recorded locality, but the species' specific habitat requirements are not known.

The Poorginup Swamp Watermite is a water mite, and its named locality is Poorginup Swamp. Its water depth, water permanence, water quality, vegetation and substrate preferences have not been documented.

Habitat: Habitat interpretation

A swamp locality does not establish that the species uses every part or water condition within the wetland. Treat potentially suitable wetland habitat near the known location cautiously until surveys or expert assessment provide more information.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The species' diet and feeding locations have not been documented.

The diet, prey and feeding behaviour of Acercella poorginup are not known.

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas

No particular water layer, vegetation type, substrate or other foraging habitat is known. Do not infer feeding locations from the species name or from general information about other water mites.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Breeding biology and breeding habitat are poorly known.

Breeding months, egg-laying sites, life-cycle timing and number of young have not been documented.

Breeding habitat: Precaution

Do not schedule works on the assumption that any season is free of breeding activity. Where works could affect wetlands in the known area, assess the habitat and survey requirements before disturbance.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter information

Sheltering sites and resting behaviour are not known.

Where the species shelters, rests or persists when local water conditions change has not been documented.

Sheltering habitat: Field implication

Do not assume that unsampled wetland margins, vegetation or sediments are unused. The location and availability of any refuges are unknown.

Threats: Known threat information

Specific threats to Acercella poorginup have not been identified.

No taxon-specific threat assessment is available. The Priority 2 category reflects that the species is poorly known and known from few locations; it does not establish a particular threat.

Threats: Wetland disturbance

As a precaution for works near its named swamp locality, assess whether activities could alter wetland water conditions or introduce sediment or contaminants. These are general wetland impact pathways to consider, not documented threats specific to this mite.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Species-specific survey methods and detectability are unknown, so plan surveys with aquatic invertebrate expertise.

Check current project mapping against the known Poorginup Swamp locality and the Warren region. Confirm whether proposed works could affect wetlands or associated water conditions in the area.

Consult current DBCA species and survey information before finalising the survey design.

Survey methodology: 2. Field survey

No validated collection method, survey season or effort level is known. Have a qualified aquatic invertebrate ecologist determine an appropriate, permitted method and identify any reference or comparison sites needed.

Record survey locations, water and habitat conditions, timing, effort, sampling method and identification confidence. Avoid treating a non-detection as evidence of absence when detectability is unknown.

Vegetation associations: Wetland or sedgeland

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

The Poorginup Swamp Watermite is a water mite, and its named locality is Poorginup Swamp.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Ecosystem associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific ecosystem association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Soil and substrate associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific soil association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Water and wetland associations: Water-associated habitat mentioned in profile

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

The Poorginup Swamp Watermite is a water mite, and its named locality is Poorginup Swamp.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

Record locations can be overlaid with mapping, but record frequency alone does not measure habitat preference. No species is excluded from desktop assessments by this analysis.

No quality-controlled record-to-map analysis has been completed for this species. The existing generalised distribution dots and indicative range polygons have not been treated as precise occurrence coordinates.

A defensible run needs dated, independently attributable records, coordinate uncertainty, duplicate and captive-record checks, layer versions and regional scope. Preference and absence require additional survey-effort and detection evidence.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

Not recorded is not the same as cannot occur. Low suitability, resident habitat, breeding habitat and occasional movement are different conclusions.

This library has not established a vegetation, ecosystem or soil-type exclusion for this species. This does not mean all habitat is suitable; the evidence needed to justify an exclusion has not been assembled.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

  • Confirm the taxon, geographic region, life stage and habitat function covered by the evidence.
  • Check survey methods, season, repeated effort and detectability before interpreting non-detection.
  • Investigate credible contradictory records and microhabitats absent from broad mapping.
  • Do not convert a missing map class, low record count or failed data request into species absence.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm the footprint

Use a precautionary approach because the known distribution is restricted and the species' habitat requirements are poorly documented.

Map wetlands and potential pathways by which the works could affect them, including drainage or water-management changes. Check for overlap with the known Poorginup Swamp area.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Set survey and avoidance measures

Obtain ecological advice on whether surveys are required and how they should be undertaken. Where practicable, avoid wetland disturbance until the potential for this species and the effects of the work have been assessed.

Brief the fauna spotter catcher and clearing crew on the species' uncertain identification and the agreed procedure for unexpected aquatic invertebrate finds.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Follow approved controls

Focus disturbance controls on avoiding unassessed effects to wetland habitat and water conditions.

Work within the approved footprint and apply the site's water, sediment and contamination controls. Do not divert, drain, fill or otherwise alter wetland areas unless that activity has been assessed and authorised.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Respond to unexpected finds

If a potentially relevant water mite or unanticipated wetland habitat is found, pause the affected activity where safe and follow the project unexpected-find procedure. Seek identification from an aquatic invertebrate specialist before deciding on further action.

Record the location, conditions, photographs where useful, and actions taken. Do not release or relocate collected fauna without specialist advice and the required approvals.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Inspect the affected area

Check that controls worked and retain records to inform future work in this poorly known area.

Inspect relevant wetland areas after works for unintended changes such as sediment movement, contamination or altered water flow. Compare observations with the project's baseline information and agreed limits.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Record and report

Document survey results, any finds, disturbance controls and follow-up actions. Provide records to the project ecologist and relevant authorities where required.

If a confirmed record is obtained, ensure the identification and location data are checked and submitted through appropriate reporting channels.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore wetland conditions

Species-specific rehabilitation requirements are not known.

Where disturbance has been authorised, rehabilitate affected areas in line with the approved plan and ecological advice. Prioritise restoring appropriate wetland form, water movement and water quality without assuming these measures alone will restore habitat for the mite.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Monitor outcomes

Monitor rehabilitation against the project's objectives and record any continuing effects on wetland conditions. Seek specialist advice before claiming that habitat has been restored for Acercella poorginup, as its specific requirements are not known.

Sources