THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



349 



POPUIAR AND PRACTICAL ENTOMOLOGY.— NO. 17. 



The Lolust Mite, 

 bv t. d. jarvis, ontario agricultural college, guelph. 



During the past summer the Locust Mite (Troinbidiuni locustaru7n^ 

 Riley) has been very common at Guelph, especially on the Red-legged 

 Locust ( Mehmopius fenuif riibruffi), but a few specimens have also been 

 found upon the Two-striped Locust ( Melanopliis bivittatns). The mile 

 is most generally found attached to the base of the second pair of wings, 

 although it is also found on the wing itself, and on any other part of the 

 body where it cannot be readily detached by the locust ; a favourite 

 position Upon the body is between the segments of the thorax and 

 abdomen, and also behind the upper joints of the legs ; in such position 

 their only means of attachment to their host is apparently by their 

 mandibles. 



The young mites (fig. 46, b) are nearly spherical, and look very much 

 like the eggs of insects. The mite sucks the blood of its host until it 



Fic;. 46.— TROMBiniiM locustaru.m. («) female with her hatch of eggs; 



(b) newly-hatched larva — jiatural size shown by the dot in a circle 



on the right ; (r) egg ; {d, e) empty egg-shells (after Riley). 



reaches maturity, during which time it often becomes so swollen with food 

 that its legs are rendered very inconspicuous. As many as five of these 

 young larvpe have been found upon a single locust. 



October, 1906. 



