阿土水螨科是我国亟待深入研究的蜱螨类群，已知种约为世界的1.8%。目前国际阿土水螨科研究十分活跃，新的分类单元不断发现，分类体系和一些高级单元的分类地位尚存在争议。本项目的主要研究目标是：大幅提高我国阿土水螨物种及高级阶元的总量，建立反映阿土水螨科自然系统的分类体系。因此，本项目主要研究内容及拟解决的科学问题为：深化中国阿土水螨分类认识，发现和记述新分类单元，探索阿土水螨体壁饰纹、殖吸盘、腺毛和射精复合体的分类学意义及其进化。通过构建类群间系统发育关系，解析分类单元间的进化关系，提出阿土水螨科高级阶元的系统分类体系。.项目具有扎实的前期基础，是利用分类理论深化我国水螨研究新探索，具有丰富中国及世界动物区系，促进蜱螨分类学理论和推进我国蜱螨学发展的重要意义。

Aturidae is a water mite group rich in diversity but poorly investigated in Chinese acari fauna, of which the know species from China only account for 1.8% of the total worldwide. The taxonomics of Aturidae has been paid much attention with new taxa erected constantly in recent years, while the classification system and the position of some higher taxa are still to be disputed. The project thereby aims at increasing the Chinese known species and higher taxa, proposing systematics scheme for the group. The study therefore focuses on such issues as: Enlarging our knowledge of the family on the Chinese fauna, through the comprehensive survey of the group, with description of the taxa new to science or to China which are well expected; Exploring the taxonomic value and evolutionary importance of the unique functional sutructures, such as galndularia, acetabula,ejaculatory complex and leg sperm transfer of some specific member of Aturidae by both micro- and ultra-sturcural methods with the view of morphological phylogeny. Consequentially a tentative phylogenetic scheme could be concluded by reconstructing phylogentic relationships among higher taxa of the mites..The present project, based on well basis of prepared research, attempts to deal with innovation in taxonomic theory and methodology for water mite studies. The prospective achievements are of significant in understanding the known species richness of the fauna and promoting the development of Acarology in China.