26 Biiìlcliìi (if Id Société Knlonioiogiquc iVEyypIp 



to .2/4 mm. Feeding- continues and the insect con- 

 tinues to increase in size. When it is about 1.2 mm. 

 long a second moult takes place and the adult female 

 emerges. Tlie antennae having: now nine joints and 

 their length has increased to ./j mm. — their final 

 length. The joints which have divided to give rise to 

 the additional two joints arc the terminal joint and 

 probably the third joint again but this is not quite 

 clear. The adult female continues to grow until she 

 has finally fed and is prepared to lay her eggs but no 

 further development of the antennae takes place. 

 Copulation if a male is available takes place when 

 the length is about i.5 mm. the final length of the 

 adult female about to oviposit being 3 mm. 



When the insect is about to moult she secretes 

 a very loosely \AOven cottony covering beneath which 

 she moults and remains until the new skin h.iS 

 hardened sufficiently. She then moves off in an at- 

 tcm|)t to leave behind the cast skin and co(';o^.^ 

 covering and not always with immediate success, s^.j 

 that occasionally one finds an insect walking about 

 with its cast skin still on its back. I have not been 

 able actually to observe a moult as the operation is 

 hidden from view^ but that it does take place at the 

 times mentioned above is certain from measurements 

 taken immediately before nnd after moulting. There 

 is a difference in the behaviour of the antennae at the 

 two moults. Prior to the first moult the '^rd joint 

 elongates ; it is (juite obvious it is this joint which 

 divides but prior to the ind moult there is no marked 

 elongation of any joint and the relative lengths of the 

 joints (with the exception of the terminal joint which 



