Lasiotydaeus (Berlese, 1910)

First, monospecific genus erected by Berlese (1908: 15) with Lasiotydaeus glycyphaginus as type species. Descriptions are short: 6 lines for the genus, 3 lines for the species collected in Florence ( Italy). The prodorsum illustrated by Berlese (1910: plate 18, fig. 6) has only 3 pairs of setae and it is difficult to conclude if it is pro- or recurved; however, the three setae are in line as in mammilaris (fig. 8, prodorsum recurved) and their alignment contrasts with the adjacent figure (fig. 7) in which the prodorsum is procurved with 4 setae arranged in a zigzag. Lastly, the dorsal opithosomal pattern drawn on that figure is simple, it consists of several transverse rows of 4 setae each and shows no trace of the dorsal migration of the second lateral setae (his L 2) evoked by Baker (1965). It was divided in 2 subgenera by Berlese (1910: 211), the nominal subgenus with

2 species and Melanotydaeus with 5 species. The genus was synonymized with Tydeus by Baker and Wharton (1952: 191 ; with a question mark). The genus—monosubgeneric— was restored by Baker (1965: 101) but was based on a Californian species ( L. krantzi ). The prodorsum of the Californian species described by Baker (1965: 101-102) and André (1980: 118) is procurved, the opithosomal pattern is different from that observed in tydeid mites, the tarsus I has 12 setae (vs 8 in Tydeinae), the Californian mite is not congeneric with the Italian type species (which seems to be a real Tydeidae even if it is impossible to know what the genus actually is) and appears to be an Iolinidae Tydaeolinae genus inquirendus.