A SYNOPSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ACARINA RAINBOW. 



155 



Banks reports these animals as being usually found on the 

 ground, sometimes in very hot situations, and that they run over 

 the surface or on low plants with great rapidity. Dr. Ramsay 

 tells me that those collected by him were always fairly acti^'e. 

 Some individuals occur in moss or under fallen leaves. Those 

 collected by Ramsay congregate together in larger or smaller 

 groups, whilst the form collected by my colleague on Mount 

 Kosciusko was solitary. Nothing is known of the habits of our 

 indigenous species, but they will doubtless be very similar to 

 those of their exotic congeners. Banks tells us that the eggs are 

 deposited on the ground or under stones, often in clusters. The 

 larva is a six-legged mite attached to insects, and when fully-fed 

 drop to the ground, become quiescent, and after a varying time 

 transform to the adult. One American species has been found 

 preying on a scale insect (Aspidiotus) ; others upon the San Jose 

 scale, and sometimes Aphis lions (Chrysopa). 



Genus Smaeidia, Lafr. 



Smahidia extranea, L. Koch. 



Smaridia extranea, L. Koch, Verb. Zool. Bot. Ges. Wien, xvii., 

 1867, p. 242. 



Hab. — Queensland. 



Genus Rhycholophus, Latr 



Rhynciiolophus wontanus, sp. 



(Fig. 3.3). 



Scarlet; somewhat shield-shaped; above, 

 the animal is densely clothed with rather 

 sliort bristles and hairs ; junction of 

 cephalothorax and abdomen ill-defined. 

 Crista. — Full length of thorax, enlarged a 

 little in front of posterior extremity, where 

 there is also a small tubercle present. 

 Eyes. — Four, sessile, arranged in pairs, 

 one on each side of cephalothorax. Under- 

 side free from bristles, but densely hairy. 

 Genital Opening. — Between hind coxfe ; 

 distinct. Legs. — Rather short, seven- 

 jointed, fourth pair longest ; all densely 

 clothed with long hairs. Length of body 

 3 mm., width 1'8 mm. 



Host P/rt?i^s.— Bushes (C. Hedley). 

 Hab. — Mount Kosciusko, at 6003 feet. 



Rainb. 



