Geckobiella harrisi Davidson

Geckobiella harrisi Davidson, 1958: 75 .

Diagnosis. Female. Idiosoma laterally compressed; dorsal setae short club-like, occurring in patches; short peritremes which do not extend to second palpal segment. Setae ps1–2 spinose spatulate (club-like) and ps3 sparsely barbed.

Male. Idiosoma dorso-ventrally flattened; club-like setae present, most abundant anteriorly on margin of dorsum.

Type. Female HOLOTYPE (USNMC 1860) and allotype (USNMC); PARATYPES in OSAL.

Type locality. 12 miles south of Santarem, Para, Brazil.

Type host. Plica plica (Linnaeus) .

Material examined. Female HOLOTYPE, 1 male ALLOTYPE ex Plica plica, BRAZIL, 12 mi South Santarem, Para, 5 September 1955, coll. L. E. Harris Jr. (USNMC); 2 females ex Plica plica, BRAZIL, Para, 13 January 1956, coll. L. E. Harris Jr. (OSAL 0067352–53).

Remarks. This species appears to be a specific ectoparasite of Tropiduridae lizards (see Table 2). Davidson (1958) mentioned the absence of eyes as a diagnostic character for this species, however we found that G. harrisi has a pair of eyes each located anterolaterally as in other pterygosomatids. Apparently without solenidion ω on tarsus III (unlike Jack 1964).