Trom b idiform es 1 75 



eupodids are more or less pear-shaped with the narrow end to the rear. 

 Either a strong or weak suture separates the propodosoma from the 

 hysterosoma. Their skin is soft, finely striated, and weakly haired. An 

 eye spot appears on each side of propodosoma and a pair of pseudo- 

 stigmata with weakly differentiated sensory setae is present. Leg i of 

 Linopodes is up to four times as long as the body while leg iv of Eu- 

 podes is somewhat thicker than the other legs and often has a very 

 thick femora. The tarsi have two claws and a haired empodium. The 

 palpi have four movable segments and the chelicerae are shearlike 

 but have small, somewhat deformed, or modified chelae. Two pairs of 

 genital suckers are present. In Penthaleiis the anus is dorsal, while in 

 Halotydeus it is terminal, and in other genera ventral. 



Genera: 



1. Eiipodes Koch, 1836 



Type. Eupodes hiemalis Koch, 1838 



2. Cocceupodes Thor, 1934 



Type. Eupodes clavifrons R. Canestrini, 1886 



3. Hcdotydeus^CY\Q^Q, \^9\ 



Type. Notophallus hydrodromus Berlese and Trouessart, 1889 



4. Linopodes Koch, 1836 



Type. Acarus motatorius Linnaeus, 1758 



5. Penthcdeus Koch, 1836 (= Notophallus R. Canestrini, 1886) 

 Type. Tetranychus major Duges, 1834 (= Penthaleus haemotopus 



Koch, 1836) 



6. Protacarus Hirst, 1923 (fossil) 

 Type. Protacarus crani Hirst, 1923 



7. Protereunetes Berlese, 1923 



Type. Micrereunetes {Protereunetes) agilis Berlese, 1923 



The Eupodidae has been split into three families by European work- 

 ers — Penthaleidae Oudemans, 1931, Penthalodidae Thor, 1933, and 

 Eupodidae. The characters used to separate the Penthalodidae from 

 the others appear to be substantial but those used for the family Pen- 

 thaleidae do not give a clearly defined group. Because of this the Pen- 

 thaleidae {Penthaleus and Halotydeus) are placed back into the Eu- 

 podidae. 



Discussion: The life cycle of these mites is simple — egg, larva, 

 nymph, adult. Halotydeus destructor (Tucker) has been studied in 

 Australia. The dry season is bridged over by a resting egg laid in Oc- 

 tober. They are laid in great numbers on the soil surface, under clods 



