39 72 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Laelaps Hypoaspis longipes sp. nov. (PL VI. fig. ISa-h.) 



This is a long oval, weakly chitiuized species with a rather dense hair 

 vestiture, and the male ehelieerae are peculiarly armed. 



Male (fig. 18a).— Shape an elongate oval, colour very pale yellow. Length 

 about 742ii. breadth 3S4u. Dorsal shield entire, widest at the shoulders, 

 narrowing to a blunt point posteriorly, surface smooth, frontal bristles stout and 

 finely setose. Hair armature rather long and dense. The fused ventral plates are 

 of the laelaptid form, narrower and more pointed posteriorly than the dorsal 

 shield (indicated by dots in drawing , hairs on the sternal part long. Pedal- 

 plates present, but weakly developed : peritreme bent slightly inward towards 

 the stigma. 



Capitulum distinctly transverse, with four pairs of long, finely setose 

 hairs on the maxillary plate, three pairs of these are grouped at the base of 

 the maxillary lobes, the latter are straight. Epistome produced at centre, but 

 not strongly so, margin serrate. Chelicerae, free chela with a strongly curved 

 apex and one triangular tooth, the male process projects slightly beyond the 

 end of the segment, and sends off a short spur which, in dorsal view, is seen 

 to be directed upwards ; fixed chela without teeth, and with a marked 

 concavity for the reception of the tooth on the free chela (fig. 186). Palps 

 rather long and slender, on the ventral surface the first segment has two 

 strongly setose hairs, the second segment has a stout setose hair both on its 

 outer and inner side near the apex, third segment with two stout curved 

 spines, fourth segment with a long ventral hair, and on its upper surface one 

 or two very stout spines project over the last segment. Legs very long, the 

 approximate lengths are 742/u, 540/u, 563/u, 793/*, with long hair armature, 

 tarsi of last pair elongate. 



Locality. — There is no note as to the actual habitat in which this 

 species occurred, except that it was found in the Westport district in 

 July. 



Laelaps i Cosmolaelaps vacuus Michael. 



Occurs commonly at Mulranny in nests of the ants La-sius niger and 

 Myrm ica scabrinodis. 



Berlese has described two varieties of this species. The Mulranny 

 specimens vary a little in colour and size ; yet, I believe, they are all 

 referable to the type forcu. 



Distribution. — Probably widespread in Europe; has been recorded from the 

 Austrian Tyrol, Italy, and Britain. 



