A SYNOPSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ACARINA. 

 By W. J. Rainbow, F.L.S., F.E.S., Entomologist. 



(Figs. 33—37). 



Mr. Nathan Banks, the well-known American Arachnologist, 

 lias recently published a valuable, if brief, "Treatise on Acarina, 

 or Mites."' The work is rendered the more acceptable to the 

 student of Acarology, from the fact that it gives not only a key 

 to the numerous families and genera, but also a sketch of the life- 

 histories of many species, some of which are of world-wide 

 <listribution. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the Acarina " have always 

 attracted," as Banks points out in his preface, "considerable 

 interest, both from their minute size and because of the remark- 

 able habits of many species," comparatively little is known about 

 them systematically. Many species have been described from 

 time to time, by a number of authors, but, to again quote Banks 

 " few have really studied them." The literature dealing with 

 the subject is very scattered, and much of it unsatisfactory. 



The most reliable workers have been Michael in England, 

 whose masterly monographs of " British Oribatida? "•^ and " British 

 Tyroglyphidie "' have appeared at different times ; and among 

 continental students, Neumann, whose " Revision de la Famille 

 des Ixodides "^ is a valuable production, and must take its place 

 as a standard work. Other European acarologists of repute are 

 Ti'ouessart, Kramer, Canestrini, Nalepa and Berlese. The 

 writings of these workers are spread over many publications. 

 , It is interesting to note that more species have been described 

 of late years — principally by Trouessart and Canestrini — from 

 New Guinea, than from Australia. 



Nearly all parasitic Acarids follow the distribution of their 

 hosts, and so frequently become widely diffused, but a few^ non- 

 parasitic forms are common in widely separated regions. Most of 

 the latter, as well as some phytophagous species, distribute them- 

 selves naturally. There are a number of non-parasitic mites 



1 Banks— Proc. U. States Nat. Mus., xxviii., 1904, pp. 1-114. 



- Michael— Britisli Oribatida?, Eay Soc, lH84and 18SK. 



•"* Michael— British Tyroglyphidse* /of. cit., 1901. 



^ Neumann — Mem. S'oc. Zool. F" ranee, ix,, 190o, |i]). 1-44; ihid., x., 1«97, 



pp. 324-420; i')id., xii., ls;)S, ])]i. 107-2:)4; i'luL, xiv., I!K)1, ])p, 249- 



372. 



