THE ACARINA OR MITES. 



23 



Recently Thor has made a new family, Teneriffiid£e, for two new genera related 

 to Eupodidse and Anystidoe, but lia\dng some characters of Trombidiida?. The 

 palpi end in one large and two small claws, one of the latter in the position of 

 the "thumb" of the Trombidiidse. The coxse 

 are large, close together, and radiate; the ven- 

 tral apertures are large, elongate and approxi- 

 mate; the basal joints of the palpi are en- 

 larged. The mandibles are chelate, and the 

 tarsi end in two claws; there is no crista, nor 

 ehields on the dorsum. They appear to be most 

 closely related to the Eupodidae. Teneriffia^ (fig. 

 17) comes from the island of Teneriffe, and Pa- 

 rateneriffia from Paraguay. Little is known about 

 their habits, except that they are not parasitic. 



Fig. n—Tcncriffia: Palpus. 

 (Original.) 



Family CRYPTOGNATHID^. 



This family is based on a tiny red mite foimd in Europe, and described in 1879 by 

 Kramer as Cryptognathus lagena (fig. 18). The body shows no division into cephalo- 



thorax and abdomen; the coxae are radiately 

 arranged close together; the genital aperture is 

 near the tip of the body, and the anus is at the 

 tip; the palpi are long and simple; the legs (sub- 

 equal in size and length) are simple, and end in 

 two claws; the mandibles are chelate, but weak; 

 the surface of the body is divided into many tiny, 

 irregular areas (somewhat as in Raphignathus) , 

 and there are two eyespots on each side. But the 

 most peculiar point is a large, hyaline hood in 

 front of the body, over and partly surrounding 

 the mouth parts. The mite was found in moss, 

 and nothing is known of its habits. 



Family BDELLID^. 



The members of this family are known as " snout 

 mites," from the appearance of the beak or ros- 

 trum. The body shows distinctly the diWsion 

 into cephalothorax and abdomen, the two hind 

 pairs of legs apparently arising from the latter. 

 The cephalothorax is subtriangular, with a few 

 long bristles above and usually one or two eyes on 

 each side, commonly near the posterior corner. 

 The mandibles are large, slender, tapering, more or less united along the median 

 line, and together form a prominent cone in front. They are chelate in the 

 typical genus, but in some of the other genera end in one claw. The palpi arise 

 apparently from near the base of the mandibles, but really from a part of the 

 body below them. They are either three or five jointed, the second joint being 

 the longest. In some forms they are provided with spinelike bristles, but usually 

 with fine hairs, the terminal ones often of great length. The palpi are fre- 

 quently elbowed between the second and third joints. The abdomen is usually 

 broadest at the shoulders and tapering, but rounded behind ; it bears only a few 

 short hairs or bristles. The venter (fig. 19) has the usual two apertures near the 



Fig. 18. — Cryptognathus lagena. 

 (Original.) 



^ Strand's substitution of Teneriffiola is not needed, since Becker's genus was spelled 

 Teneriffa. 



