J. R. AUDY 
1 66 
Subfamily Apoloniinae Wharton 
Provisional Diagnosis (Wharton, 1947, slightly simplified to include new genera tentatively introduced 
by Womersley, 1953, this Study p. 108). — Leeuwenhoekiids with 7-segmented legs (except for Cockingsia ); 
sensillae expanded or attenuated; mostly parasitising reptiles, birds, and arthropods. 
Remarks. — The characters of the new genera and species described by Womersley are 
included in the Table, but are not discussed further because their full descriptions are included 
in this Study. The type genus is monotypic, Apolonia tigipioensis Torres & Braga 1938 being 
recorded from domestic fowls and also as causing scrub-itch in man. Womersia is likewise 
monotypic, W. strandtmanni being from a bird, U.S.A. Shunsennia Jameson & Toshioka 1953 
is close to Chatia but differs in the fewer prongs to the palpal claw and the presence of an 
empodium. It includes the type S. tarsalis (with a tarsala III) and Hannemania ochotona Rad. 
Since writing this, Audyana thompsoni Worn. 1953: 118 has been bred to the nymph, 
allowing it to be correctly placed in the Trombellinae, family Trombidiidae. Womersley has 
revised his paper accordingly, but before revision he had noted that all five genera described 
from larvae taken from arthropods may prove not to be apoloniine. 
Old World species. — Africa: Sauracarella africana , montana , whartoni (all from reptiles). Asia and 
Pacific: Shunsennia tarsalis Jam. & Tosh., 1953 from a vole and mouse, Korea. Cockingsia tenuipes Worn., 
1953 (this Study p. 115), from a beetle, Malaya. Audyana thompsoni Worn., 1953 {idem) from a scorpion, 
Malaya. Grossia onychia Worn., 1953 (idem) from a trombidiid, Australia. Nothotrombicula deinacridae 
Dumbleton, 1947 from an orthopteran. New Zealand. Womersleyia minuta Rad., 1946 from orthoptera, 
Maidive Islands, Indian Ocean. 
Family TROMBIDIIDAE Leach 
Diagnosis (incomplete, for comparison with that of Leeuwenhoekiidae). — Larvae usually with more 
than one dorsal plate: an anterior scutum, frequently deep, dorsal to and obscuring the gnathosome; 
frequently with a postscutal plate bearing a pair of setae; usually with other dorsal plates bearing setae. 
Scutal setae usually 6 (anterior, intermediate, and posterior); usually bearing only 1 pair of filiform 
sensillae. Seta on pedipalpal coxa usually anterior to base of palpal femur. Legs 7-segmented, femora 
of legs being divided. Sternal setae usually multiple. Parasitic on arthropods, not on vertebrates. 
Nymphs and Adults often large (i-iomm): body cordate or pyriform broadest between legs II and III. 
Scutum with 1 (exceptionally 2) pairs sensillae (which may arise off the scutum) ; extending anteriorly to 
form an expanded plate which may project over the gnathosome as a tectum, bearing numerous setae 
(rarely the plate is absent and the scutum undeveloped); eyes if present may be 1+1, 2+2, sessile or 
pedunculated, placed away from the scutum. Most species of this family are known from the freeliving 
adult stage and not from the larval stage. 
Comments on Checklist of Gunther, 1952 
Gunther’s checklist (1952) contains valuable references to literature and the location of type material. 
The early parts of the checklist were completed long before the publication date, as the author explains. 
It may be helpful to make a few comments as follows — the numbers in brackets refer to Gunther’s page- 
numbers. The subfamily Hemitrombiculinae (pp. 2,24 ) was raised in error, Hemitrombicula Ewing being 
recognised later as a synonym of Limnochares Latreille, a hydrachnellid (vide Baker & Wharton, 1952:278). 
The genus Nothotrombicula Dumbleton is unrelated and is now placed provisionally by Womersley in the 
Apoloniinae sensu lato (Worn., 1953, this Study p. 108). As already noted (p. 156 above), the present 
writer believes it is premature to raise a subfamily Guntheraninae (p. 2) for the genus Guntherana, but 
this is only a matter of opinion. Guntherana parana (p. 2) is now synonymised by Womersley with the 
type G. kallipygos. In discussing the genus Trombicula (p. 3-4) the author is certainly correct in stating 
that it will take years to assign species to their subgenera, but this complete suppression of the tentative 
subgenera is equally certainly not a forward step. 
T. mediocris (p.6 ) is the adult of T. wichmanni according to Womersley. Gunther records the breeding 
of nymphs of T. hirsti and the deposition of type and paratype in the South Australian Museum and the 
School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in Sydney. Womersley does not however describe the 
nymph of this important scrub-itch chigger and the matter requires following up. Gunther (p. 5) in 
discussing the relationships between hirsti and wichmanni (which some workers would regard as subspecies 
or varieties) states that he “cannot concede their complete identity and is convinced that they are divisible 
at least into distinct subgenera. This will be discussed in (his) Part VI; meanwhile (he) is listing them 
as distinct species.” The discussion referred to (p. 8) is a statement of opinion, expressed in a peculiar 
double negative which does not accord with the author’s suppression of subgenera. No reasons are 
STUD. INST. MED. RES. 
