laid from 100 to 4J.7 eggs, averaging 219, Other individiials that 

 had fed four times laid five egg batches totalling about 900 eggs 

 over a thirteen month period (Patton and Cragg 1913). The embryonic 

 development, described by Christophers (1906 J, is essentially like 

 that of 0* moubata . 



Larvae, like those of 0. moubata , are nonmotile and do not 

 feed. Althotigh some undergo ecdysis in the egg, most larvae free 

 themselves from the eggshell before molting to nynqjhs (Cunllffe 

 1922), After splitting the eggshell, larvae molt to nymphs in 

 five hotirs (jDavis 1947V to ten hours (Patton and Cragg 1913). 



Four nymphal instars over a period of about 84 days and seven 

 i^mphal feedings were observed by Patton and Cragg (1913). Cun_ 

 liffe (1922), on the other hand, noted that males appeared after 

 four to six molts and females usually after the sixth molt. Rea- 

 sons for differences in number of instars among argasids remain 

 to be ascertained. 



The very active nywpha commence feeding two or three days 

 after molting and require fifteen to thirty minutes to reach re- 

 pletion. Adults normally feed for similar periods but the pre- 

 sence of both stages along remote camel trails would indicate that 

 on occasion some tampans may remain longer on the host. 



Females in Cunllffe *3 (1922) studies lived between 292 and 

 A20 days at 30^0. and for an average of 775 days at 220C. 



Spermatophores superficially similar to those of 0. moubata 

 are utilized by this species (in Egypt), althovigh Christophers 

 (1906) and Nuttall and Merriman ^1911) questioned their presence. 



Other details of the life cycle have been reported by the 

 above mentioned observers and by Rousselot (l953Bv, However, more 

 extensive and refined studies are still necessary. 



Ecology 



0. savignyi , among the tick species studied by Lees (19A7), 

 shows~the greatest ability to limit water loss at high temperatures, 

 Tl;ie critical level for this species is 75*^. while for 0. moubata 



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