Genera: 



Mesostigmata 79 



Entonyssinae Ewing, 1923 



1. Entonyssus Ewing, 1923 



Type. Entonyssus halli Ewing, 1923 



2. Hammertonia Turk, 1947 



Type. Entonyssus bedfordi Radford, 1937 



3. Ophiopneumicola Hubbard, 1938 



Type. Ophiopneumicola colubri Hubbard, 1938 



Pneumophionyssinae Turk, 1947 

 Genus: 



Pneumophionyssus Fonseca, 1940 



Type. Pneumophionyssus aristoterisi Fonseca, 1940 



Discussion: Entonyssids have been found only in the respiratory 

 passages of snakes. Their life history has not yet been completely elu- 

 cidated, but it is probably considerably foreshortened. Fully developed 

 larvae have been seen in the females so the assumption that they are 

 ovoviviparous is well founded. Radford 1937 is the only author who 

 reports finding nymphs of this family. Turk 1947 suggests that Rad- 

 ford's observations may have been inaccurate and that the larvae molt 

 directly into the adult males and females. Since no one has followed 

 the complete cycle of any species the question must remain open. En-, 

 tonyssids have been found in America and Africa. There is no reason 

 to suppose that they will not eventually be found in other locahties. 

 As far as is known these mites cause their hosts little discomfort. They 

 are not known to be of any economic or medical importance. 



References: 



Radford, C. D. 1937. A new species of mite of the genus Entonyssus 

 Ewing. The North Western Naturalist. Mar. 1937:38-42. 



Turk, F. A. 1947. Studies of Acari IV. A review of the lung mites of 

 snakes. Parasitol. 38:17-26. 



Vitzthum, H. G. 1935. Uber die Gattung Entonyssus Ewing (Acari). Zeit. 

 Parasitenk. 7:709-716. 



Rhinonyssidae Trouessart, 1895 



Figure 60 



Diagnosis: Rhinonyssids are fairly large (from 0.5 to 1.6 mm. in 

 length). They are oval in shape and have weakly sclerotized plates. 



