THE AGAR IN A OR MITES— BANKS. 



75 



Ho. — Pediculoides ventrico- 



srs, MALE. 



portion of the body. Brucker has studied the anatomy of Pedloiloidix; 

 there is a hirge stomach, connectino' to the mouth b}' a slender (eso- 

 phagus; to the latter is attached a blind phar- 

 jmx. He found no anus (but I believe one 

 exists in Tars())ie)ini><) the intestine ending 

 ])lindly near tip of body. The genital open- 

 ing is at tip of the ])ody; above it is a short 

 spermatheca. In the females there are a 

 pair of air reservoirs in the front part of 

 body; behind them are tufts of tracheal 

 which, when the female becomes swollen 

 by eggs, extend into the swollen part. 



The Tarsonemida have not long held 

 an}^ one position in the system of Acarina. 

 They have been associated with Oribatida^ 

 and Cheyletida, and Berlese has recently 

 elevated the family into one of the princi- 

 pal groups of the order. The dimorphism 

 in certain forms seems to suggest afhnity to the Tyroo-lvphidte. 



The family has been divided into two groups. 



Hind legs of 'female ending in claw and gncker a^; in other pairs Fediculoidimr 



Hind legs of female end in long hairs Tarsonemmn- 



In the hrst subfamily are 

 two or three genera, the most 

 prominent is Pediculoides. 



In 1850 Newport gave the 

 name Ileterojyux ventricosux to 

 a mite found on the larva of 

 a wasp. Since then the same 

 mite has been found on various 

 insects, both alive and dead. 

 The generic name was pre- 

 occupied, and was changed 

 to Pedieuloides h\ Targioni- 

 Tozzetti in 1875. The spe- 

 cies has l)ecomA of much eco- 

 nomic importance since it is 

 frequenth' parasitic upon in- 

 jurious insects. The abdo- 

 men of the pregnant female 

 swells to an enormous size, 

 this being due to the develop- 

 ment of the eggs. These not 

 only hatch within the parent, l)ut ol)tain their entire development 

 there, and issue as sexually mature males and females. These may 

 wander al)Out for a time on the body of the mother and soon pair. 



Fig. 140. — Pediculoides ventkico-~i--, (jRwid ff-vi\li 



(RTTREAU of ENTOMOLOrT^ ) 



