TAXONOMY OF TROMBICULIDS 
I5i 
teeth on the chelicer, the presence of which alone is not a generic character. Similarly, 
S.(S.) oculicola Worn. 1952 is not congeneric and as discussed elsewhere (below, and by Audy, 
in MS) it is probably best accommodated in Doloisia sensu lato because in larva and nymph it 
shows much closer affinities with this genus than it does with the type of Euschongastia. 
Of species in Wharton and Fuller’s list, S. jamesi Gun. is a synonym of a true 
Neoschongastia , N. yeomansi Gun; and S. katonis Worn and Heaslip is a synonym of S. schiiffneri 
{vide Womersley, 1952 1257, 159). These authors synonymise blestowei Gun. with vandersandei, 
and S. maldiviensis Rad. with S. vieta but Womersley retains these as species. In the case of 
maldiviensis there appear to be differences in both larvae and nymphs, and it would probably 
be correct to regard this species as a true island subspecies of vieta. 
As Schongastia appears to be an Old World genus, the list below includes the world species. 
Some of Lawrence’s species are included provisionally because of the scutal shape and reptilian 
hosts, the question of the nude seta on tarsus III being sub judice. Five others African species 
are recorded from mammals. S. andrei Rad., 6*. cercopitheci (Trag.), and S. willmanni Rad., 
have the general appearances of this genus but their descriptions are lacking in a number of 
data. Fuller (1948) redescribes cercopitheci and notes the presence of mastitarsala III; Mr E. 
Browning of the British Museum (Natural History) has kindly examined andrei and willmanni 
and states that andrei has two mastitarsalae III and zdllmanni one. 5 *. lavoipierrei Jadin and 
Vercammen- Grand jean, 1952:621, is a typical Schongastia with one mastitarsala III. *S. 
oubanguiana Andre 1951, also from mammals, has the characteristic scutum and toothed 
chelicers, but tarsus III is not described and the presence or absence of a mastitarsala III is 
uncertain ; two sensory rods are mentioned and drawn for tarsus I but as the microtarsala is not 
noted, it may be that in this species the microtarsala I is exceptionally elongated. A detailed 
study of the legs would be interesting. 
World Species. — Africa: andrei , cercopitheci , platysauri, pseudocoryli , scincicola, willmanni , probably 
gerrhosauri , mabuyana , monticola , oubanguiana. Asia and Pacific : blestowei ( ?), philipi , pseudoschuffneri , 
schuffneri N ( =pusilla ); taylori; vandersandei ( ? = blestowei); vieta vieta N & v. maldiviensis N (assuming 
provisionally that the latter is a geographic “ island ” subspecies, which appears likely); whartoni; “ BP ” 
n. sp., Varma in MS. Also haddowi Rad. 1953 (hyrax, Africa). 
Genus Oenoschongastia Womersley and Kohls, 1947 
Type. — Oenoschongastia cana Worn. & Kohls, 1947:8, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust., 71, 2-12. From nest 
of ground-bird. New Guinea. 
Diagnosis. — Monotypic: larva similar to those of Schongastia but chelicers differently modified (short, 
stout, curved and stumpy with several apical prongs). Nymph unknown. 
Genus Radfordiana Womersley, 1953 
Type. — Radfordiana rostrata Worn., 1952:242, Rec. S. Aust. Mus ., 10, 1-435. From soil, nest of 
ground-bird, and lizard, New Guinea. 
Diagnosis. — Monotypic: larva similar to Schongastia but chelicers differently modified (very long, 
serrated, almost styliform); hypostome long, tongue-like, palpi long and slender, palpal claw a single 
prong; sensillary bases posterior to line of PLs. 
Remarks. — In the general scutal shape, the presence of a mastitarsala III, and host- 
preferences (birds and reptiles) both Oenoschongastia and Radfordiana are very close to 
Schongastia s. str. The modification of the chelicers already present in Schongastia appears to 
have been carried further in these two species. The writer believes it best to think of these 
two genera as being subgenera of Schongastia. 
Genus Euschongastia Ewing, 1938, expanded 
Type. — ( Euschongastia americana Ewing, 1938:293, J. Wash. Acad. Sci., 28, 288-295, synonym) = 
Schongastia sciuricola Ewing, 1925:261, Amer. J. trop. Med., 5, 251-265. From squirrels, U.S.A. 
Provisional Diagnosis (sensu lato, roughly equivalent to subgenus Ascoschongastia , Worn. 1952:170). — 
Trombiculinids whose larvae have variously shaped scuta, 5 scutal setae and expanded sensillae (globose 
or lanceolate); legs usually 7-segmented but occasionally legs II and III 6-segmented; chelicers only 
MALAYA, No. 26, 1953 
