188 Acarology 



are able to find the host by following the slime trail. The food may be 

 the slime or may be found off the snail. The mites and snails appear 

 to live in perfect harmony with each other. 



References: 



Baker, E. W. 1945. Five mites of the family Ereynetidae from Mexico. 



J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 35(1):16-19. 

 Grandjean, F. 1939. Observations sur les Acariens (5 serie). Bull. Paris 



Mus. d'Hist. Nat., Ser. 2, 11 (4) :394-401. 

 Thor, Sig. 1933. Tydeidae, Ereynetidae. Das Tierreich 60:58-84. 

 Turk, F. A. and Stella-Maris Phillips. 1946. A monograph of the slug mite 



— Riccardoella limacum (Schrank). Proc. Zool. Soc. London 115 



(3,4):448-472. 



Para tydeidae Baker, 1949 



Figure 128 



Diagnosis: These mites are prostigmatic and have peritremes as in 

 the predaceous Cheyletidae. Their palpi are four-segmented, without 



the claw-thumb complex and with the 

 tarsal segment terminal. The chelice- 

 ral bases are fused, and the movable 

 chela is short and nonretractile for 

 piercing. The body is elongated and 

 both the propodosoma and the hyste- 

 rosoma are without plates. The skin is 

 striated. The hysterosoma is divided 

 dorsally by a distinct suture behind 

 the third pair of legs. A few simple 

 setae are located on the body and the 

 propodosoma has two pairs of long 

 sensory (?) setae, one pair of short 

 setae, two pairs of lenslike eyes, and 

 two pairs of lateral, peglike setae. The 

 anal opening is situated on the venter 

 at the rear. The genital opening, sep- 

 arated from the anal opening, is lo- 

 cated behind coxae iv, and has two 



pairs of genital suckers and from two 

 Figure 128 Paratydeus alexanaeri • r • i ^ 



Baker. Dorsum of female. ^0 four pairs of genital setae. Coxae 



