194 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vOL. 106 



collections from shrews in the Duke Forest area shows the single 

 Blarina brevicauda trapped in January was infested with E. 

 hlannae; one B. brevicauda trapped in March and two trapped 

 in April were not infested; one of two B. brevicauda trapped in 

 July was infested; the single B. brevicauda trapped in September 

 was not infested; the one trapped in October was infested; and 

 two out of three trapped in December were infested. A summary 

 of these collections shows one positive host out of five hosts col- 

 lected from April to September and four positive hosts out of 

 six hosts collected from October to March. However, at this time 

 collections are not adequate for any reasonable picture of seasonal 

 distribution for E. bJarinae. 



Diagnosis : E. blarinae can be distinguished from other species 

 in the "blarinae" group by the following combination of char- 

 acters: Scutum and free leg segments punctate, cheliceral base 

 without punctae, and galeal setae branched. The heavy scutal and 

 dorsal setae clothed with uniformly large setules will distinguish 

 the species in good preparations. When the distinctive sensillae 

 are present, they alone will serve to differentiate E. blarinae. 



Ecology: In Pennsylvania, E. blarinae was collected from 

 shrews which were trapped in a variety of situations. According 

 to Mr. Neil Richmond, hosts were taken among weeds and briars 

 along a railroad. The ground was cool and wet. The weather 

 was hot in late summer. They were taken in a narrow, rocky 

 ravine where hemlock and yellow birch were the dominant trees. 

 The site was cool and well watered. Some nights were below 

 freezing in late spring. Hosts infested vrith the chiggers were 

 trapped in hardwoods on a dry ridge in September. They were 

 taken, also, among black and yellow birch, hemlock, and red 

 maple on a round, v/ell-watered knoll in May. 



In Duke Forest most host shrews were trapped in the oak- 

 hickory upland hardwoods communities. One of the December 

 collections and the January collection were made on v/ell-drained 

 ridge tops at a small decayed-out stump and at a pile of stones. 

 The other December collection was at the base of a small shrub 

 on a gently sloping hillside. The weather was cold or freezing. 

 The July collection was from a level area between two slopes. 

 The October collection was made from a narrow bottomland along 

 a permanent stream. River birch, yellow poplar, and sweet gum 

 were the dominant trees. 



The one common factor in all collections was shrews. E. blari- 

 nae was found on no other hosts in collections from the Duke 



