Larvae of H. hookeri feed on all contents of engorged nymphal 

 ticks and pupate in the body of the host. Mult wasps emerge froni 

 the nymph by gnawing a hole through the host's expanded integument. 

 Mating occurs soon after energence . Oviposition, by insertion of 

 the ovipositor through the tick's integument, may follow immediate^ 

 ly after mating. Unfed nyraphs are preferred for egg laying, though 

 oviposition in engorged nymphs also occurs. Eggs are sometimes 

 laid in tick larvae; in these, however, the parasite undergoes a 

 latent period until after the laxval-nymphal molt. Latency con- 

 tinues in unfed, hibernating ticks until they commence engorging. 

 /"Cooley and Kohls 1928, 193/!. ._7 



Brumpt (1930B), who experimented with rearing this parasite 

 in R s. sanguineus, noted that a period of some 33 days passes 

 befl;e-; ymphl ext^ It signs of parasitism, a factor of Practical 

 interest in transportation of the wasps to new areas or labora. 

 tories . 



Adult wasps may sometimes be noticed running rapidly oj the 

 dog's hair in search of ticks (da Costa Lima 1915, Philip 193U,B). 



Moruhological characters of tick. parasitizing wasps have 

 been compared'by Steyn (1955) who concludes ^^^^^ J' |^2ii-^ 

 mic-ht be expected to be of greater value ^'^^t)^°l°Sic^^ontrol 

 Siln the other species, (if, however, H. theilera^ is actually 

 as infrequent in nature as present scanty records suggest its 

 Jangf o^phi^siological adaptability may negate this possibility - 



HH). 



Predators: In a Corsican house invaded by both kennel ticks 

 and TheriSS -^piders, Teutena triangulosa Wick. , the spiders were 

 Served feeding on the-TT^H" (^autet i9^b). Under experimental 

 ^ondllions the^^ fed on both the inmature and adult stages and 

 oSg spid;rs akacted ticks shortly after hatching. Although 

 tr^dators also fed on flies, they showed a Preference for 

 ticks Und-- August, midsummer conditions, the spider life cycle 

 from ;r^ to aduS^required three weeks. Six to twelve eggs were 

 iSd S^ach webbed mass, and females produced from eight to ten 

 of these balls. 



_ 712 .. 



