298 Phylum Arthropoda 



In the course of this study hog lice have been found to be the normal 

 host of a symbiont, living in enlarged epithelial cells of the mid-intestine 

 and passing from generation to generation through the egg. In artificially 

 reared lice these symbionts tend to disappear, and the possibility of an 

 intimate relationship between the symbiont and the blood ingested by the 

 insect host may be the explanation of the impossibility of rearing hog 

 lice elsewhere than on their natural host. 



Bibliography 



Florence, Laura, 192 i. The hog louse, Haematopinus suis Linne: its biology, 

 anatomy, and histology. Cornell Univ. Agric. Exper. Sta. Mem. 51. 



1924- An intracellular symbiont of the hog louse. Amer. J. Trop. Med. 



4:397- 



Order hemiptera, Family scutelleridae 



NOTES ON REARING A SCUTELLERID 



H. M. Harris, Iowa State College 



THE geographical distribution of Acantholoma denticulata is limited 

 by the range of its host plants, Ceanothus pubescens and the related 

 C. ovatus. The species hibernates in the adult stage and usually may be 

 taken at any season by sifting leaf mold from around the host plants. 

 However, the bugs congregate in the corymbs at the time of seed-pod 

 formation and may be collected in numbers most easily at this time by 

 quietly approaching the plant and cupping the hands beneath the flower- 

 heads. Adults mate and oviposit readily in captivity. Eggs normally 

 are placed in the vegetable mold, but when deprived of this (as is desir- 

 able in rearing studies) the females will oviposit on leaves or other 

 surfaces. Almost any type of cage with provision for ventilation will 

 suffice for the adults when fresh seed-heads of the host plant are avail- 

 able for food. For the eggs and nymphs, however, small stender dishes 

 serve best. It is essential to preserve proper moisture relations in the 

 cage if success in rearing is to be achieved. A disc of absorbent paper 

 (white is preferable) tightly fitted in the bottom of the dish and slightly 

 moistened once or twice a day is all that is necessary. The paper must 

 be renewed and the dishes cleaned regularly to hinder the growth of 

 molds. Food for the young consists of seeds of Ceanothus. In nature 

 the seeds must remain in the duff layer of soil for varying periods of 

 time before the very durable outer coats are softened sufficiently to allow 

 penetration by the feeding stylets of the young bugs. For use in feeding 

 caged individuals it is sufficient to soak the seeds in water to soften 

 them or to crush them mechanically. The insects readily feed on these 

 soaked or crushed seeds. 



