186 Acarology 



2. Eunicolana Berlese, 1911 



Type. Eunicolana tuhercukita Berlese, 1911 



Discussion: Grandjean 1942 has studied the family in some detail 

 and the following life history is based on his studies. The adults feed 

 readily on Collembola and small, immature, oribatid mites. Eggs are 

 laid separately and without protection. The adult is able to carry the 

 egg from one place to another by seizing it between the first pair of 

 legs and resting it on the extremity of the chelicerae. The egg, which 

 is rather large, hatches in about twelve days into the larva. The larva 

 does not feed and is mobile for only a few hours. It seeks a place to 

 transform into the protonymphs. The proto-, deuto-, and tritonymphs 

 greatly resemble the adult mites in structure and food habits. 



The Labidostommidae is a small family of little known mites found 

 in Europe, South Africa, North and Central America, and Brazil in 

 South America. The mites live in moss, humus, and soil and are pre- 

 daceous on other mites and small insects. Many species are character- 

 ized by a lateral protuberance behind the lateral eyes, the function of 

 which is unknown. The family is represented in the United States by 

 Labidostomma pacifica (Ewing) and from the southern United States 

 to Panama by L. neotropica (Stoll). 



References: 



Grandjean, F. 1942. Observations sur les Labidostommidae. Bull. Paris 

 Mus. Nat. d'Hist. Nat. Ser. 2, 14(2) :118-125; (3):185-192; (5): 

 319-326; (6):414-418. 



Thor, Sig. 1931. Bdellidae, Nicoletiellida, Cryptognathidae. Das Tierreich 

 56:66-77. 



Ereynetidae Oudemans, 1931 



Figure 127 



Diagnosis: The ereynetids are reddish yellow or colorless white. They 

 are small mites measuring from 0.220 to 0.500 mm. in length. The 

 body has a suture located between the propodosoma and the hystero- 

 soma. Their integument is soft and striated. Ereynetes has a compli- 

 cated shield pattern on the propodosoma while Opsereynetes has a 

 simpler pattern. Setae on the body are few but a pair of long sensory 

 setae is situated on the propodosoma and another pair is located on the 

 hysterosoma. Opsereynetes has eye spots but Ereynetes has a pair of 

 lenslike eyes. The palpi are simple, lack either a thumb or a claw, and 



