Oribatidae, Oribatinae 5 



to some of those found in Central Europe. Their principal habitats are in moss, under 

 bark of trees, on leaves of trees either growing or fallen, on lichens and fungi, 

 and under stones. They are chiefly terrestrial but some are known which lead aquatic 

 lives crawling on water-weeds, not swimming. One doubtful species has been de- 

 scribed by Dujardin as marine, but it is not sufficiently described and possibly was 

 not one of the Oribatidae at all. 



This work only includes recent species; it would make but little difference as 

 regards the Oribatidae if it were otherwise, as there are not any recorded species 

 which have any claim to be considered fossil except four found in amber. The 

 places, or strata in which the amber was found are not mentioned, but supposing it 

 to have been true tertiary amber these creatures would of course belong to that 

 period. The species are: Oribates convexulus C. L. Koch & Berendt. Nothrus 

 sulcatus Karsch, Nothrus kuhli Karsch, Nothrus punctulum Karsch. The descriptions 

 are somewhat imperfect, indeed it would scarcely be possible that they should be 

 otherwise with such minute creatures imbedded in amber. 



In the localities given for the various species most of those in the Netherlands 

 have been taken from Oudemans' n List of Dutch Acari" (in: Tijdschr. Ent.. 1896, v. 39 

 p. 53); and many of those in Sweden from: C. H. Andersen's n Bidrag till Kannedomen 

 om Nordiska Acariden" (in: Of. v. Ak. Forh., 1863 (1864), v.20 p. 181). It is doubtful 

 whether the identification of species in these papers is quite reliable. 



I regret having felt compelled to place so many of W. Banks' American species 

 in the doubtful list, but that gentleman was unable to publish any illustrations, and 

 the descriptions rely greatly upon Nicolet's erroneous anatomy, so that I do not think 

 that it would be possible to indentify the species from many of them; I understand 

 however that the author proposes publishing illustrations of some at least of them 

 which will probably remove the difficulty. 



7 subfamilies, 20 good and 3 uncertain genera. 199 good and 115 doubtful 

 species, 2 varieties. 



Key to the subfamilies. 



f Abd. with chitinous wing-like expansions . A. Subfam. Oribatinae ... p. 5 

 | Abd. without wing-like expansions (Apterogasterea) 2. 

 / Cephth. anchylosed to Abd. Ventr. plate 



anchylosed to dors, plate 3. 

 9. i Cephth. hinged to Abd. and folding down 

 on its ventr. surface. Ventr. plate not 



anchylosed to dors, plate GK Subfam. Phthiracarinae . p. 77 



i Mdb. rod-like, serrated, not chelate . . . B. Subfam. Serrariinae . . p. 26 



\ Mdb. chelate 4. 



i Legs arranged first 3 pairs near together, 



pair 4 distant, jumping organs . . . . C. Subfam. Zetorchestinae . p. 27 



4 f Legs arranged first 2 pairs near together, 



last 2 pairs near together. Pair 4 

 I crawling organs 5. 

 J With Lam D. Subfam. Notaspidinae . p. 28 



5 \ Without Lam. 6. 



J Legs thin, much longer than body . . . . E. Subfam. Damaeinae . . . p. 52 

 \ Legs short and thick F. Subfam. N"othrinae . . . p. 61 



A. Subfam. Oribatinae 



1884 Pterogasterinae, Michael, Brit. Orib., v. 1 p. 202 i 1885 Subfam. Oribatidae, 

 .Berlese in: Bull. Soc. ent. Ital, v. 17 p. 127 | 1891 0., Canestrini in: Atti 1st. Veneto, 

 ser.7 v.2 p. 717 j 1892 Oribatinae, Trouessart in: Rev. Sci. nat. Quest, v.2 p. 38* [ 1896 

 .Fam. Pterogasterinae, Berlese, A. M. S., Crypt. II p. 61. 



Abd. with chitinous wing-like expansions (Pteromorphae, Ptm.). 



