. Oribatidae 



1834 Oribatei, Ant. Duges in: Ann. Sci. nat., ser. 2 v.l p. 21 1842 Carabodides, 

 C. L.Koch, tibers. Arach., i:3 p. 96 | 1849 Notaspidea. Hoeven, Handb. Dierk., ed. 2 

 p. 669 ; 1855 Oribatides, Nicolet in: Arch. Mus. Paris, T.I p. 384 etc. 1859 Carabodides, 

 Grube in: Arch. Dorpat. Ges., ser. 2 v.l p. 417 ; 1861 C., Fiirstenberg, Kratzm., p. 208 | 

 1863 Oribatidae, Gerstaecker in: Carus & Gerstaecker. Zool., r.2 p. 342 ' 1864 Oribatides, 

 Andersen in: Ofv.Ak.F6rh.. v. 20 p. 181 i 1875 ,,0ribatides", Donnadieu, Rech. Tetra- 

 nyques, p. 9 j 1876 ,,0.", Megnin in: J. Anat. et Physiol., v. 12 p. 293 1877 Oribatidae, 

 Murray, Econ. Ent. Apt., p. 93 | 1877 0., P.Kramer in: Arch. Naturg., .43I p. 215 j 

 1877 Oribatidi, Canestrini & Fanzago in: Atti 1st. Veneto, ser. 5 v. 3 p. 481 ] 1877 

 Oribatini; Canestrini & Fanzago in: Atti 1st. Veneto, ser. 5 v. 4 p. 76 ! 1884 Oribatidae, 

 Michael, Brit. Orib. \ 1885 Oribatina, Berlese in: Bull. Soc. ent. Ital., ' v. 17 p. 215 , 1891 

 Cryptostigmata, Canestrini in: Atti 1st. Veneto, ser. 7 v. 2 p. 717 1892 Oribatidae, 

 Trouessart in: Rev. Sci. nat. Quest, v. 2 p. 38* 1894 Oribatoidea, Banks in: Tr. Amer. 

 ent. Soc., 0.21 p. 209 ] 1896 Oribatei, Oudemans in: Tijdschr. Ent., e.39 p. 53 | 1896 

 Cryptostigmata, Berlese, A. M. S., Crypt. II. 



Acarina with bodies of various forms, those of the Imago 

 oftenest more or less discoidal, hemispherical, pyriform, ellipti- 

 cal, oblong or fusiform, but these shapes are frequently broken 

 by many irregularities. The bodies of the immature creatures 

 oftenest of the above forms, but frequently extremely irregular. 

 The cuticle of Imago usually fully chitinized and hard, occasion- 

 ally leathery. The Cephalothorax and Abdomen are usually, 

 but not invariably, divided by a transverse constriction between 

 the second and third legs. Imago usually tracheate; tracheae 

 simple and unbranched. Immature forms without tracheae. Stig- 

 mata, when existing, sunk in the acetabula of the coxae. No 

 eyes. A pair of Pseudo-stigmata, each bearing a pseudo-stigmatic 

 organ, on the dorsal surface of the Cephalothorax. Legs of five 

 free joints, terminated by tridactyle or monodactyle ungues 

 without sucker or caruncle. Maxillary palps of five free joints 

 (rarely four). Mandibles chelate working perpendicularly, rarely 

 non-chelate and serrated. Maxillary-lip (Hypostome) with dentate 

 organs (Maxillae) working horizontally. Genital'opening abdomi- 

 nal in both sexes. Not any external sexual dimorphism. Larvae 

 and Nymphs with soft or leathery cuticle and monodactyle 

 ungues. 



The Oribatidae are never parasitic, they are vegetable feeders. They 

 are usually oviparous, sometimes ovo-viviparous, rarely viviparous. The 

 Larva (Lv.) emerges with three pairs of legs; it becomes a Nymph (Nph.) 

 and acquires the fourth pair at the first ecdysis. The Nph. undergoes three 

 ecdyses, at the third (the fourth if the larval ecdysis be included) it becomes 

 an Imago (Im.). The Lv. and Nph. are usually totally unlike the Im., but 



Das Tierreich. 3. Lief. : A. D. Michael, Oribatidae. i 



