Spiders and Their Near Relatives 



skin on the venter are seen rod-like epimera that 

 support the legs; body often entire; adult fre- 

 quently parasitic. P. 92 Sarcoptoidea 

 EE. Palpi usually of four or five joints, free; rarely 

 with ventral suckers near genital or anal open- 

 ings; eyes often present; tarsi never end in 

 suckers; body usually divided into cephalothorax 

 and abdomen; rod-like epimera rarely visible; 

 adults rarely parasitic. 

 F. Last segment of palpi never forms a "thumb" 

 to the preceding joint; pal-pi simple, or rarely 

 formed to hold prey; body with but few 

 hairs. P. 87. Eupodoidea 

 FF. Last segment of palpi forms a "thumb" to the 

 preceding, which ends in a claw (a few excep- 

 tions); body often with many hairs. P 87. 



Trombidoidea 



Superfamily EUPODOIDEA (Eu-po-doi'de-a) 



The Eupodoidea includes two families, the Eupodidae and 

 the Bdellidas, each of which contains only a small number of 

 known American species. These are predaceous mites which 

 feed on small insects or insect eggs. They live as a rule in moist 

 places, in moss, among fallen leaves, on rotten bark, and in other 

 similar situations; but some are found on the leaves of trees. 

 Many of the species are red or marked with this colour. But our 

 most conspicuous red mites do not belong here; these are the 

 harvest-mites described later. 



Superfamily TROMBIDOIDEA (Trom-bi-doi'da-e) 

 The Red-spiders and the Harvest-mites 



The Trombidoidea includes six families, two of which are of 

 general interest. These are the Tetranychidas or "red-spiders" 

 and the Trombidiidae or harvest-mites. 



The Tetranychidae ( 1 et-ra-nych'i-da?) are of considerable 

 economic importance on account of their injuries to cultivated 

 plants. They are well-known under the common name "red- 

 spider." In the colder portions of the country they are common 



87 



