December, 16] McGREGOR: privp:t mite in the south 559 



Incubation 

 Doubtless, as is the case with the common red spider, the duration 

 of the incubation period varies with the chmatic conditions. We 

 find that the lengtli of this period during hot weather is about eight 

 days at Batesburg, S. C. 



Table I. Duration of the Egg Period 

 Period Duration (days) 



June 19 to 27 8 



June 24 to July 1 7 



June 18 to 27 9 



Average 8 



Larva 

 In hatching the eggs rupture transversely near the anterior end. 

 The larva leaves the egg head first. The lid of the egg often remains 

 attached as a cap (see fig, 386) . In the one case witnessed the hatching 

 required over thirty minutes. The larva is 6-legged; the body color 

 is a bright crimson whereas the legs are nearly colorless. The just 

 hatched larva is feeble and travels very slowly. The six posterior 

 spines are much more conspicuous in the larval than in the later stages; 

 they are more lamellate and are distinctly serrate. Table II presents 

 the data for four reared larvae. 



Table II. Duration op the Larval Period 



Period Duration (days) 



June 27 to July 1 4 



June 29 to July 3 4 



June 29 to July 4 5 



June 27 to July 3 6 



Average 4.7 



The molt of the larva, as for all other stages, takes place through a 

 transverse rupture at the suture between the cephalothorax and ab- 

 domen, quite similar to that of the red spiders. In molting the in- 

 dividual often crawls inside a shed skin of an older stage, and it is 

 customary to see two or three shed skins telescoped one inside the 

 other. 



Protonymph 



As is commonly the case with mites, the molt to the primary nymph 

 results in an added pair of legs — making eight in all. The feeding 

 protonymph quickly gains in size over that of the larva and becomes 

 of a somewhat darker color. 



