MITE PARASITES OF THE EGGS. 135 
Most of the fossorial wasps have habits very similar to this species, 
but many of the other genera provision their nests with the larve of 
Lepidoptera or with Orthoptera or sometimes with the larger spiders. 
Mire PARASITES OF THE EGGs. 
Of the mites found either preying on the eggs of the Cicada or asso- 
ciated with them in such manner as to suggest a predaceous habit, 
several represent species which are well known to subsist on soft- 
bodied insects or other animal food. An almost equal number, how- 
ever, belong to a family of mites, the Oribatide, which, so far as the 
habits of the species are known, comprises, with few exceptions, 
strictly herbivorous mites, 
or such as subsist on vegeta- 
ble decay. A few species, 
however, of this family pos- 
sess mouth structures which 
indicate that they usually 
prey on other insects, and 
somc of them are known to 
feed on decaying animal sub- 
stances. In this country 
two species have been re- 
corded as being true insect 
parasites, namely, Nothrus 
ovivorus Pack. and Oribata 
aspidiot, Ashm., the former 
having been observed to 
suck the eggs of the canker- 
worm, and the latter to feed 
on scale insects in Florida. 
The types of these two spe- 
cies have not been preserved, 
and there is some doubt as 
to their correct reference. 
All of the mites associated with the eggs of the Cicada, both those 
of doubtful and those of well-known predaceous habits, were invari- 
ably found in the egg slits, down among the woody fibers, where 
they could have little choice of food except that supplied by the 
Cicada eggs. In no case were the mites actually observed to be 
feeding on the eggs, but frequently the eggs were more or less shriveled 
and the contents extracted. 
All of the mites referred to below have been examined for me by 
Mr. Nathan Banks, a specialist in this group, who has identified and 
described the material as far as its condition, as balsam mounts, per- 
mits. The accompanying illustrations are from very careful drawings 
Fia. 63.—Mite egg parasite, Oppia pilosa. (Author’s illus- 
tration). 
