274 BRITISH HYDIIACHNID^. 



Fiona ovata (Koch). 

 1835-41. — Nescea ovata, C. L. Koch, Deutschlands Crust., etc., 

 N.S., Fig. 13. 



1842. — Fiona ovata, C. L. Koch, Ubersicht des Arachnidensy stems, 

 Tab. — , Fig. 4. 



1879. — Fiona Jlavescens, Neuman, Sveriges Hydradmides, p. 54, 

 Tab. II., Fig. 4. 



This I believe to be the same mite given by Koch as the type 

 species of Fiotia, and also Neuman's " F. Jlavescens." It is a very 

 beautiful Hydrachnid, of a fair size, and brilliant in colour; its 

 beauty cannot be seen in a black and white drawing. To be 

 appreciated the mite must be seen in the life. The body is 2/2 5ths 

 of an inch long, oval in shape, the line of the oval being slightly 

 depressed on either side towards the posterior margin. The 

 dorsal colouring is very strongly marked ; it is a bright yellow, 

 pale at the anterior portions, and inclined to red at the broadest 

 part on the margin ; in the centre is a yellow cross, cadmium in 

 colour, which is spotted with a darker tone. This cross is sur- 

 rounded with a dark patch very nearly black, and which in some 

 specimens looks quite so. The eyes are a deep red. The ventral 

 side is a little deeper in colour round the margin, but is almost 

 colourless in the centre. The black marking which is so promi- 

 nent on the dorsal side also shows well on the ventral (see Fig. 5). 

 At the posterior end of the genital area is an angular patch of 

 bright yellow, spotted with a deeper yellow, in the centre of which 

 is the anal plate. The legs, palpi, and epimera are grey blue, all 

 of which have a finely granulated surface. The first leg is about 

 i3/3ooths of an inch long, the second i/2oth, the third 4/75th, 

 and the fourth i/i5th. The palpi (Fig. 2) shows the prickle 

 which is one of the characteristics of this genus ; it is about 

 4/i5oths of an inch long. The ventral side in some speci- 

 mens is so covered with fine downy hairs that it is almost 

 impossible to make out the genital area. I have taken a 

 number of females of this species, but have never yet succeeded 

 in finding a male. The specimen from which this drawing was 

 made was taken from a pond at Bagshot, Surrey, Sept. 24, 1894. 

 I have had several species of Fiona deposit their ova on the side 



