cidated, but each new observation suggests how many other details 

 are yet to be known, 



A summary of the life cycle is as follows: Copulation is 

 effected by transfer of a male spermatophore to the female, after 

 which the female indulges in a rapid blood meal and subsequently 

 deposits a small batch of unusually large eggs in or on the soil. 

 After the larva emerges _it remains noninotile and nonfeeding till 

 the nymphal stage some liours or days later. The active nymph, 

 after a short rest, feeds on an available host for about half an 

 hour, then retreats to the soil or a crevice to digest its meal. 

 Subsequently, the nymph molts, usually four or five times, with 

 a similar pattern of resting, feeding, and resting between each 

 ecdysis, Sextially mature adults emerge from the last molt and 

 normally mate shortly afterwards. The female feeds two days later 

 and several days afterwards deposits a batch of eggs. Adult hid- 

 ing and feeding habits are like those of nymphs. Seven feedings 

 and egg batches appear to be maximum in one female's lifetime. 

 A minimum of about two and a half months is necessary to complete 

 the life cycle, which normally is probably considerably more ex- 

 tended than this. Apparently these ticks do not voluntarily wander 

 far in search of food and considerable numbers may develop in a 

 single building or large animal burrow. 



The mating behavior of 0. raoubata was described by Nuttall 

 and Merriman (l91l) but the account of mechanism of insemination 

 has been augmented by Robinson (19A2b), The development of the 

 sperm has been described by Sainson (1909), 



In the male the spermatids travel down the vas deferens either 

 in a continuous stream or are aggregated in rounded pellets, each 

 containing a few hiindred male elements. As stated by Robinson 

 and Davidson (19H) (for Argas persicus ), it is probable that the 

 male accessory glands secrete tne spernB.tophore case into which 

 these elements pass, 



^According to Robinson, the spermatophore is not chitinous. 

 It completely dissolves in strong KOH solution at I5CPC., and 

 becomes red in fdillon's reagent; therefore it is probably largely 

 protein, 7 



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