66 



Acarology 



Discussion: Little is known concerning the biology of these mites. 

 Willmann reports them from numerous caves, but others have been 

 found on the surface. They are of no economic or medical importance 

 as far as is now known. 



References: 



Berlese, A. 1904. Acari nuovi. Redia 2:10-32. 



Willmann, C. 1936. Mitteleuropaische Arten der Gattung Veigaia (Para- 

 sitidae, Acari). Zool. Anz. 116:249-258. 



Figure 51 Perga- 

 masiis probsti 

 Oudemans, 1912. 

 Ventral view of 

 female. (After 

 Vitzthum 1940) 



Parasitidae Oudemans, 1901 



Figure 51 



Diagnosis: The females of the family Parasitidae 

 can be easily recognized because they have a pair 

 of large, metasternal plates flanking the epigynial 

 plate. The males usually have exceptionally large 

 apophyses on leg ii but other famihes also have 

 similar males. Tarsi of all legs are provided with 

 a pretarsus, caruncle, and claws. The forked seta 

 on the palpal tarsus has three tines. In the males, 

 the movable digit of the chelicera is greatly modi- 

 fied for copulation. The dorsal plate is entire or, 

 more usually, divided into two. The tectum is 

 basically tridentate. The ventral plates have vari- 

 ous arrangements, but the epigynial plate is always 

 triangular with a posterior base and anterior apex. 

 Sclerotized structures are present in the vaginal 

 wall. 



Genera: 



1. Parasitiis Latreille, 1795 (= Carpais Latreille, 1796 



= Gamasus Latreille, 1802) 

 Type. Acarus fucorum DeGeer, 1778 



2. A mbly gamasus Berlese, 1903 



Type. Gamasus tiberinus G. and R. Canestrini, 1882 



3. Eugamasus Berlese, 1893 



Type. Gamasus magnus Kramer, 1876 



4. Holoparasitus Oudemans, 1936 

 Type. Gamasus calcaratus Koch, 1839 



