Phthiracarus pavidus

Phthiracarus pavidus (Berlese, 1913)

Hoploderma pavidum Berlese, 1913, p. 103, pl. 8 figs. 101, 101a 1).

Phthiracarus pavidus, Sellnick, 1928, p. 40; Willmann, 1931, p. 191, fig. 350; Lombardini, 1936, p. 47.

The original specimens from Tiarno (slides nos. 142/8-11, of which 142/10 is the type) are still present in the Collection. The identity of this remarkable species is certain.

I classify pavidus with the genus Phthiracarus, although the species has erect interlamellar hairs as in Hoplophthiracarus; the shining tegument gives it, however, the apparence of a species of the first-mentioned genus. Berlese figured the specimen as having 22 pairs of notogastral hairs; it will be interesting to establish the real number. The notogastral hairs are curved in a striking way. It is not impossible that the species represents a separate genus.

1) In the explanation of pl. 8 an erroneous reference is made to fig. 100a.