158 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 179. 



Immediately following the deutonymphal molt the full-grown female 

 establishes herself upon a cucumber leaf and feeds for about two or three 

 days before oviposition takes place. During this short period it mates 



^<^en7 U 



and shows a tendency to migrate. Following this period for about eight 

 to ten days it deposits about six eggs per day, thus making a total of 

 fifty to sixty eggs laid by a single female. The average duration of life 

 of the adult female in summer is about two weeks, but this period in- 

 creases as the weather becomes colder. 



The development of the male is verj^ similar to that of the female, with 

 the exception that the second nymphal stage is lacking. The other stages, 

 however, require a little longer period for development, so that the time 

 from the egg to the adult is only one day shorter than the development 

 of the female. The different stages of development and the length of 

 each stage of the male red spider may bo represented as follows: — 



Egg. 



Larva. 



Quiescent I. 

 -I I 



Nymph. 



Quiescent II. Adult (f. 



4-5 clays. 



days. 



134 days. 



days. 



IJ4 days. 



5-7 days. 



