Phthiracarus Berlese's Primitive Oribatid Mites van der Hammen, L. Zoologische Verhandelingen 1959 40 1 93 6PDV Arachnida Phthiracaridae Phthiracarus Animalia Sarcoptiformes 46 47 Arthropoda genus   PhthiracarusPerty, 1839, column 847; 1841, p. 874.  The genus Phthiracaruswas created by Perty in 1839, although no type-species was mentioned; I remark that this publication has generally been overlooked. In 1841 Perty redescribed the genus and mentioned one species. According to Jacot (1930, pp. 209, 211) the third volume of Perty's "Allgemeine Naturgeschichte" appeared in 1843; this is, however, 1841 (cf. Engelmann, 1846, p. 116; Sherborn, 1929, p. 4928; Neave, 1940, p. 735).  Phthiracarusis monotypical. P. contractilis, the type, is figured by Claparede(1868, pl. 36 figs. 15-19) after unpublished drawings by Perty. According to Jacot (1930, p. 211) P. contractilisis a synonym of Hoplophora laevigata C. L. Koch, 1841, fasc. 38 (16); the last-mentioned species was redescribed by Jacot (1936, p. 167, figs. 1-6). It will be useful to establish the exact date of publication of Perty's work, and to investigate the supposed synonymy. A detailed redescription of the type-species will be highly important. Berlese classified Phthiracarusspecies with the genera Hoplophora(1883a), Hoploderma(1913, 1913a), and Phthiracarus(1920a, 1923) respectively. In 1923 Berlese used the generic name Phthiracarusin the sense of our Phthiracaridae; he distinguished a number of subgenera, among which Phthiracaruss.str. corresponds with the present conception of the genus. I remark that from 1904 up to and including 1913 Berlese used Phtiracarusfor species that are nowadays classified with Oribotritiidaeand Euphthiracaridae.