Aug. 20, 1917 



Cyclamen Mite 



383 



easily removed. The leg terminates in a single stout slightly curved 

 gradually pointed claw. The epimera of the third pair conjoint those 

 of the fourth pair internally, and the four together are considerably and 

 equally advanced in front. The male measures 180 to 185/1 i^ length and 

 95 to 100 /i in width. 



LIFE HISTORY OF THE CYCLAMEN MITE 



OVIPOSITION 



A single egg is deposited at one time, the egg being so large as to take 

 up at least one-half of the female's body. The eggs are laid in masses 

 in moist, dark places provided by the curling and distortion of the leaves 

 of the cyclamen plant. This may occur by the curling over of the edge, 

 or the basal lobes of the leaves may curl. The eggs are placed here and 

 there in the folds so provided and have no set position. They were 

 never found exposed on the plant, as they are very sensitive to the sun's 

 rays and soon shrivel. Moisture is always present where they are found. 

 When the egg hatches the shell collapses completely. 



The length of the egg stage no doubt will vary and depends mainly 

 upon the temperature. From the 10 eggs observed the average proved 

 to be about 1 1 days. The laboratory where the experiments were carried 

 on had a daily temperature of about 70°, corresponding quite fav- 

 orably with the greenhouses where the cyclamen plants were kept. 

 Egg deposition goes on over a long period of time, eggs being found from 

 the early part of November until the last of March, and no doubt the 

 eggs may be found over a longer period, indicating that a large number 

 of generations may be produced. (See Table I.) 



Table I. — The length of the egg stadium of the cyclamen mite 



LARVAL HABITS 



When ready to hatch, the larva ruptures the eggshell at the cephalic 

 extremity and being curled up wnthin the egg soon commences to stretch 

 itself out. Upon hatching nothing but the chorion is left; remains of the 



