NO. 3 HEMOLYMPII COAGULATION IN INSECTS 15 



in the fragile hyaline hemocytes or coagulocytes. Modifications of the 

 plasma induced around the former corpuscles are exceptional. Such 

 modifications, recorded previously in two specimens of Neotropical 

 stick insects (Gregoire, 1957, p. 7), were observed in Prisopus cerosus 

 (table 1) around macronucleocytes of small size (stem cells), sec- 

 ondarily to the typical formation of islands of coagulation around 

 the unstable hyaline hemocytes. 



Heteroptera. — Granular precipitates, unrelated to the presence of 

 hemocytes in the vicinity, recorded previously in the same group of 

 insects, were observed in the present material in Montina lobata, 

 Saica apicalis (Reduviidae), Macropygium reticulare, 3 species of 

 Edessa (Pentatomidae), Anasa haglundi, Zoreva dentipes (Coreidae). 

 A tentative interpretation of these occasional findings has been given 

 elsewhere (Gregoire, 1957, p. 7). 



Coleoptera. — The sequence in the alterations in the fragile hemo- 

 cytes and in the plasma, characterizing pattern III (see Gregoire, I957> 

 p. 2 and text fig. 3), appeared with great clarity in the two specimens 

 of Elateridae mentioned in table 1. 



In the samples of hemolymph from Compsus sp., Heilipus sp., 

 Exophthalmos jekelianns (Curculionidae), characterized, as shown in 

 the table, by the absence of detectable alteration in the plasma, in the 

 conditions of phase-contrast microscopy, a category of highly labile 

 hemocytes, unrelated to the unstable hyaline hemocytes, underwent 

 considerable modifications in their shape: immediately upon with- 

 drawal and spreading out into films of the hemolymph, these hemo- 

 cytes appeared spindle-shaped, with two straight expansions on both 

 sides of the cell body. The expansions became progressively flexuous 

 and exhibited continuous trepidations and jerks. They reached great 

 lengths, bent suddenly at right angles, and sent out lateral ramifica- 

 tions in various directions. Simultaneous development of such changes 

 in neighboring hemocytes resulted in constitution of loose meshworks 

 in wide areas of the preparations. Similar labile hemocytes have been 

 reported in African weevils (Gregoire and Jolivet, 1957, p. 32) and 

 in Diptera by Gregoire (1955a) and Jones (1956). In the present 

 material they appeared in Ormiophasia bushkii (Diptera). 



Much smaller bipolar corpuscles, of unknown origin, unrelated to 

 the labile elements described above, developed similar modifications. 

 A detailed study of these corpuscles will be reported later. 



Arachnida. Arancae. — In Epicadus and in Eurypelma, a. category 

 of hemocytes with coarse refractile granules scattered in their cyto- 

 plasm and highly sensitive to foreign surfaces underwent disintegra- 

 tion immediately upon shedding of the blood, in contrast to other 



