A CATALOGUE OF THE ACAEINA. OR MITES. OF THE 



UNITED STATES. 



By Nathan Banks, 



Cnstudiaii. Section of Aiachitida, V. /?. ~NatloH(tl Miiseum. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In 1886 Prof. Herbert Osborii and Prof. L. M. Underwood pub- 

 lished, in the Canadian Entomologist, a preliminary list of the species 

 of Acarina of North America. It included 99 species in 28 genera. 

 The species described prior to that time were by various entomolo- 

 gists, and in only one case, that of Professor Garman, had a single 

 author done any considerable work in one genus. During the past 

 twenty years several naturalists have described a large number of new 

 species. Professor Wolcott, Doctor Koenike, and Miss Marshall, in 

 the water-mites; Doctor Haller and Professor Tyrrell, in the bird- 

 mites; Professor Neumann, in the ticks; and myself in various fami- 

 lies, are chiefly responsible for this increase. At present there are 

 450 species, grouped in 133 genera, known from the United States; 

 yet this is probabl}^ less than a third of our entire acarid fauna. 



So little is known regarding the distribution of the species, most of 

 which have been described from the Eastern States, that I have not 

 given localities. In identifying species one must now compare the 

 specimen with descriptions of all the species, irrespective of locality. 

 The generic synonyms are given in the index. In the arrangement of 

 families I have followed the common usage. 



It is hoped that by bringing together these references an interest 

 will be stimulated among others that will result in greater work in 

 the Acarina, one of the most important groups from either the bio- 

 logic or economic standpoint. 



A synopsis of the genera of the mites and a list of the literature 

 down to 1904: will be found in a Treatise on the Acarina or JNIites, 

 published in the Proceedings, U. S. National Museum, XXVIII, 

 pages 1-114. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXII— No. 1553. 



595 



