840 



CLASS V. ARACHNID A. 



uterus and accessory glands. The eggs are actually fertilized 

 within the ovary. The ends of the annular testis fuse and 

 form a coiled vas deferens which expands into a vesicula 



seminis just before it 

 enters the penis. It 

 is by no means rare to 

 find ova abnormally 

 occurring in the testis 

 of a Phalangid. 



Except when in use 

 the penis and the ovi- 

 positor are not visible, 

 and then in the genera 

 Trogulus and Siro it 

 is not possible to 



FIG. 552 bis. Male and female generative organs of Phalan- Hof or-mino f V>o COY Tn 

 gium opilio (after Krohn). T testis ; Vd vasa deferentia ; ' )t5A - 



P penis with accessory glands ; R retractor muscles; r-fKor- T>l 1Q l Qriri .; r l 

 Ov ovary; {/uterus; Op ovipositor. 



ever the male is small 



and more vividly coloured than the female. At the time of 

 reproduction the males indulge in " combats acharnes." * The 

 eggs are laid in the earth and under stones, leaves, etc., during 

 the autumn and hatch out the following spring. As autumn 

 conies on the adults gradually die and with some exceptions, 

 i.e. the Trogulidae and Nemastomatidae which live for some 

 years, they do not survive the winter except in the form of eggs. 

 They are hatched out as miniature Phalangids but white in 

 colour. 



The adults have no organs of defence unless the evil-smelling 

 secretion, which exudes in some species from two pores close 

 to the anterior coxae, be counted as such. Their safety lies in 

 their power of flight or of shamming death. Their long legs 

 are well adapted for running on grass or stubble, but are easily 

 broken. They are a thirsty race and have often been observed 

 drinking the dew and sucking vegetable juices. 



The Phalangids are cosmopolitan and are found in all latitudes. 

 Of the three primary groups the Cyphophthalmi are temperate 

 and tropical, the Mecostethi are proper to the warmer regions 

 of the world, whilst the Plagiostethi are temperate in their 

 distribution. 



* Simon. 



