384 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. XIII, 



frequently thickened at the tips. This is not true of T. 

 splendens. There are several other minor differences between 

 the two species, such as a difference in the tarsus-tibia ratio in 

 leg I. 



More is known concerning the biology and life history of 

 this chigger mite than any other, due to the very extensive 

 researches of several Japanese workers, yet much remains to be 

 learned concerning it. Dr. Miyajima holds that it is a vegetable 

 feeder, and Miyajima and Okumura state: "In nature, both 

 the nymph and the adult seem to live on the juice of plants, 

 e. g., reed {Imperata arundinacea Cyr.), daisy {Artenisia vulgaris 

 L.), etc. " If this species is a true vegetable feeder in the adult 

 state, it is entirely different in this respect from all other species 

 of Trombidiidae, whose feeding habits are known. 



T. coarcta is found in many places in Japan and doubtless 

 occurs in several other oriental countries. Berlese described 

 the species from South America, where it is known to occur 

 in Paraguay and Argentine Republic. Indications at present 

 are that it has a wide distribution in subtropical and temperate 

 countries. 



THE GENUS TROMBICULA IN THE EAST INDIES. 



The East Indies have long had a notorious reputation for 

 their chiggers. Many are the tales that various travelers have 

 related in regard to their attacks. As early as 1869 Alfred 

 Russell Wallace wrote of them, saying they were "worse than 

 mosquitoes, ants and every other pest, * * * ." It was 

 not, however, until 1912 that we had any extensive scientific 

 description of the chigger larvae of these islands. In this year 

 appeared Oudeman's extended work on " Die bis jetzt bekannten 

 Larven von Trombidiidae und Erythraeidae, " in which he 

 describes and speaks at length of two species known to attack 

 man in these islands. The same year appeared the extended 

 work of the eminent Italian entomologist, Antonio Berlese, on 

 the "Trombidiidae. " In this work Berlese gives descriptions of 

 two Trombiculas from Java; one as T. mediocris and one as T. 

 minor. According to Berlese these two species are closely 

 related, yet he held them to be distinct, largely because minor 

 was considerably smaller, had shorter abdominal setae and the 

 anterior tarsi were more conical in shape. 



