436 

 Genus: 



Acarology 



Mesoplophora Berlese, 1904 



Type. Mesoplophora michaeliana Berlese, 1904 



Reference: 



Grandjean, F. 1933. Oribates de I'Afrique du Nord. Bull. Soc. d'Hist. Nat. 

 de I'Afrique du Nord 24:308-323. 



Phthiracaridae Perty, 1841 



Figures 375-377 



Diagnosis: The hysterosoma is 

 not divided by transverse sutures. 

 Genital and anal plates lie in a 

 large ventral plate which is not 

 connected with the dorsal shield. 

 Jacot 1930 states: "The out- 

 standing character of the Phthira- 

 caridae is the ability to withdraw 

 the cephalothorax and legs within 

 the vault of the notogaster, a de- 

 velopment which so much recalls 

 the box turtle, armadillo and others. One often reads that the aspis is 

 hinged to the abdomen and capable of folding down like the hinged 

 lid of a box. This is highly erroneous. There is no hinge. The cephalo- 



Figure 375 Pseudotritia ardiia (Koch). 

 Lateral view of female. (After Jacot 

 1930) 



Figure 376 Pseudotritia ardua (Koch). 

 Genital-anal region. (After Jacot 1930) 



Figure 377 Phthiracarus setosellum 

 Jacot. Propodosoma and legs (dotted) 

 withdrawn into cavity in upper part of 

 hysterosoma and with aspis covering 

 the opening. (After Jacot 1930) 



thorax is merely drawn into the upper part of the cavity of the abdomen 

 and between the legs, which spread out four on each side. This is done 

 in such a way that a chitinous shield or aspis, borne on top of the head 



