STREPSIPTEEA. 



155 



Order Strepsiptera,* or Bee Parasites. 



The Eev. Mr. Kirby had more than once observed 

 upon several species of bees, something that he took 

 to be a kind of mite, with which insects are very com- 

 monly infested, and determined not to lose the oppor- 

 tunity of taking one off for examination. On attempt- 

 ing, however, to disengage it with a pin, much to his 

 astonishment, he drew forth from the body of the 

 bee, what he imagined to be a white fleshy larva, a 



Fig. 115.— sttlops. 



quarter of an inch long, the head of which he had 

 mistaken for a mite, it had neither mouth nor pro- 

 boscis, nor any apparent means of obtaining food. 



J 



Fig. 11 



-a, b, FEMALE. — d, PUPA.— e, MALE OF feTYLOPS. 



" After I had examined one specimen," says Mr, 

 Kirby, " I attempted to extract a second, and the 



* (TTp€\pLs, strepsis, twisting ; Trrepou, pteron, iving. 



