Clare Island Survey — Acarinida. 39 115 



Rhyneholophus rubripes Trouessart. 



1889. E. mineatus var. rubripes Berl. et Trouessart 17 ; see also Trouessart 

 90, p. 754. 1889. Moniez 52, p. 196. 



Westport and Mulranny, locally common on the sea-shore, July and 

 September. 



This brightly coloured mite is a denizen of the sea-shore where it may be 

 found under stones and running actively on rocks exposed by the receding tides 

 below high-water mark. 



During life the body is red with darker markings on the back, the legs 

 and mouth parts are of a bright red. The length of the Irish specimens ranges 

 from about 1021^ to 1434/i, and the breadth is 870^. The shape varies, as a 

 rule the shoulders are well marked, and the end of the body is more or less 

 truncated. The abdomen is set with a comparatively dense covering of rod- 

 like hairs, those of the fore-body are shorter and somewhat adpressed. The 

 cephalothorax is bluntly pointed in front ; form of the crista as is usual in the 

 genus, median rod rather broad, frontal sensory area with eight or nine 

 stout bristles (average length 50^) in front of the two long sensory hairs. Palps 

 long and very stout, last segment with a stout, club-shaped appendage which 

 extends a little beyond the tip of the terminal claw, apex covered with strong 

 curved bristles. The legs are long and robust, tarsus of the first pair not very 

 strongly arched, its length is about 175^, breadth 90^. 

 , Distribution. — Coasts of France and the British Isles. The mite described 

 from the Scotch coast under the name of Bitteria hirsutus George ("The 

 Naturalist," 1910, p. 182), is to be referred to the present species. At 

 Malahide on the Dublin coast I have found it abundantly, in company with 

 Hydrogamasus Giardi, on rocks studded with the small acorn-shell lialanus 

 balanoides well below high-water mark. Trouessart observed it under similar 

 conditions on the French coast, and remarks of the former species : " Ce 

 Gamase vit en commensal sur Balanus balanoides." 



Rhyneholophus mineatus (Herm.), Berl. 

 Found in the Westport district. 

 Distribution. — Widespread in Europe. 



Rhyneholophus norvegicus Sig. Thor. 



1900. Bitteria norvegica Sig. Thor., Norges Khyncholophidae, Christiania 

 Vid.-Selsk. Forhandl. No. 3. 



I am inclined to refex to this species a Ehyncholophus which was found 

 not uncommonly in the Westport district during April and May. It does 

 not seem to agree with any one of the species described from Germany or 

 Italy by acarologists. 



