Gamaselliphis potchefstroomensis (Ryke)

Halliday, R. B., 2005, Predatory mites from crops and pastures in South Africa: potential natural enemies of redlegged earth mite Halotydeus destructor (Acari: Penthaleidae), Zootaxa 1079, pp. 11-64 : 41

Gamaselliphis potchefstroomensis (Ryke)

Cyrtolaelaps (Gamaselliphis) potchefstroomensis Ryke, 1961: 101 . Gamaselliphis potchefstroomensis: Lee, 1970: 57 .

Specimens examined: Site 94­11, 7 females, 4 males; Site 94­13, 1 male; Site 94­14, 19 females, 10 males; Site 94­31, 1 male; Site 94­33, 1 female, 1 male.

Gamaselliphis potchefstroomensis was described from humus at Potchefstroom ( Ryke, 1961) and has not been reported since, except when Lee (1970) promoted Gamaselliphis Ryke 1961 from a subgenus to the status of a full genus. Nothing is known of the biology of this species and the next, except that they are presumed to be predatory by analogy with other species of Ologamasidae . The genus includes only five described species, all of which were described by Ryke (1961). The male is known for only three of these.

The collection also includes three specimens of another apparently undescribed species of Gamaselliphis , which has some distinctive features (site 94­31, 2 males, 1 DN). However, I refrain from attempting a description because the female is unknown.