Trimalaconothrus tardus

van der Hammen, L., 1959, Berlese's Primitive Oribatid Mites, Zoologische Verhandelingen 40, pp. 1-93 : 77

Trimalaconothrus tardus (Michael, 1888)

Nothrus tardus Michael , 1888, p. 526, pl. 47 fig. 14.

Angelia tarda , Berlese, 1896, fasc. 78 (5).

Berlese prepared his 1896 figure after a specimen sent to him by Michael; he does not mention whether the description is based on the same specimen. The difference between the length mentioned by Michael (0.360 mm) and that mentioned by Berlese (0.550 mm) is, however, considerable 1).

Because no specimen of the species is present in the Berlese Collection, the 1896 record (in moss, Padua) remains doubtful; there is, moreover, an important difference in habitat (Michael collected his type-specimen on lichen growing on the granite rocks, Land's End, Cornwall).

1) According to Knuelle (1957, pp. 165, 166, figs. 40, 41), who studied two of Michael's " tardus " speeimens (the real types?), the measurements are 0.482 X 0.228 mm. Knuelle describes and figures a pair of small ridges on the notogaster, which run from h1, to h2-h3; these are probably the same ridges as in Berlese's drawing.