154 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSE CM. 



Tetraxychus cucumekis, Boisd 



Tetranychus cucuiyieris, Boisd., Ent. Hort. 1868, p 84 



Obs. — Peculiar to cucumber and gherkin, but other plants are 

 also attacked by it. It is very minute. When the Cucurbitaceae 

 are attacked, the weak and sickly plants should be remo^^ed. 



Hah. — Australia (introduced). 



Tetranychus rosarum, Boisd 



Tetranychus rosarum, Boisd., Ent. Hort., 1868, p. 83 



Host Plants. — The host plant of this species is the rose, on the 

 underside of the leaves of which it is sometimes found. This is 

 probably the species determined by French as parasitic on roses 

 in Victoria. 



Hah. — Australia (introduced). 



Obs. — Several other genera are included in this family and are 

 probably represented in Australia, but in a preliminary study, 

 and from lack of material systematically collected, it is impossible 

 to define them. 



Family RHYNCHOLOPHIDyE 



These mites are usually bright red, and one of our species, at 

 any rate, is exceedingly common on bushes around Sydney. Only 

 one species, Smaridia extranea, L. Koch, has hitherto been re- 

 <;orded from Australia, but two additional species, each apparently 

 referable to the genus Rycholophns, Dug., are described below. 

 One of these is common enough around Sydney, but the other is 

 from the 6000 feet level of Mount Kosciusko, where it was 

 collected by my colleague, Mr. C. Hedley, in January last. The 

 other form, collected by Dr. E. P. Ramsay, appears equall}' as 

 abundant in winter as in summer. Both forms were taken from 

 plants. 



In the Rhycholophidaj the body is usually divided into two 

 parts, but the division is not veiy distinct. Along the middle of 

 the cephalothorax there is a longitudinal furrow known as the 

 dorsal groove or crista. It is usually enlai'ged at the anterior and 

 posterior extremities, and sometimes at the middle. In the two 

 Australian genera known to me there are two simple eyes on each 

 -side of the cephalothorax, but in the genus Smaris, Latr., twu 

 additional eyes have been recorded, and these are placed close 

 togetlier near the middle of the anterior margin. 



