Gamasiphis pulchellus (Berlese)

Gamasus pulchellus Berlese, 1887: no. 4.

Gamasiphis pulchellus: Lee, 1970: 49; Karg, 1993a: 373; 1993c: 182; 1996: 179.

Specimens examined: Site 94­11, 3 females.

This species has been recorded from Italy, North America, South America, Japan, China, South Africa, and Java. However, Lee (1970) cautions that some of these specimens may actually belong to different closely related species. The present specimens are in good agreement with the descriptions of Karg (1993c, 1996). By analogy with other species of Ologamasidae, G. pulchellus is probably a nematode predator, and is rare, so is unlikely to have any effect in regulating populations of RLEM.