400 NATURAL HISTORY OF HAWAII. 



boll-worm, '^^ which is by far the most destructive enemy of the cotton plant. 

 There seems to lie no doul)t but that it was introduced directly or indirectly 

 from India within comparatively recent times. It does the damage in the 

 caterpillar stage, when, as its name implies, it attacks and feeds on the lint and 

 seed of the cotton in the ball before it is open, practically destroying the boll 

 so far as its lint is concerned. The moth is about three-fourths of an inch 

 across the expanded wings, and is soft gray-brown in color, with darker 

 markings; the fringe on the hind wings being wider and paler brown than on 

 the front wings. 



Lice. 



The various flies that annoy human beings and their domestic animals have 

 been briefly mentioned above, but other introduced niiimal pests occur and are 

 as troublesome here as elsewhere. Among them are a number of species of 

 lice. The term "lice" is loosely applied to representatives of two orders of 

 insects. Those occurring on poultry and wild birds are properly called bird- 

 lice,*^^ although some species infest sheep and goats also. They are wingless 

 parasitic insects with biting mouth-parts enabling them to feed upon and live 

 among the bird's feathers. The turkey-louse'" and the chicken-louse ai-e 

 examples of this class. The family Pedicuke, including the true lice, belongs 

 to a sub-order "1 of the great order Heniiptera and includes certain parasites 

 of man and other aninuds. They differ from the bird-lice in having sucking 

 mouth-parts. They live among the hair of their host aiiiina!. feeding on its IjIooI. 

 Three species are known that are parasitic on man; one lives in the hair on the 

 head^- and two, a body louse '-^ known as the "gray-liack" and the crab- 

 louse,'^^ on the body. While the more common species elsew^here are those 

 found on tlie liorse or a second species occurring on the cow, they have not as 

 yet been reported in Hawaii. Almost every animal has a species of 

 louse, though they are not always attached to all host animals. The hog-louse,'-'' 

 for example, is reported as occurring here in limited numbers, while other 

 species doubtless to be found licre have not yet been taken. 



Ticks and INIites. 



It should be mentioned in this connection that ticks are often confused 

 in the popular mind with lice, although they more properly belong with a 

 distinct division of the branch"'' of the animal kingdcmi which includes the 

 insects, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, crabs and lobsters. In all of these the 

 body is composed of a series of segments joined together, with some of the 

 segments bearing jointed legs. In the order ^" to which the mites and ticks 

 belong the abdomen is unsegmented and is united to the thoi-ax, giving the 

 body a sack-like appeai'ance. 



The ordei- including the mites is represented in HaAvaii. but as yet only 



^>^ (jclerhifi c/ossi/iiirthi. "'' Mdlhiiiliiiiia. '" (i oniodi's fiti/li/i-r. '^ Pornxitii. ''- Pcdirulds cnjiitex. 



''^ Pedicidus vestuitcHtii. '* Plifliinis iiiihis. '^ Ha'>notojnnii.i in-iiin. '^" A rflirc/Kida. 



"''' A carina. 



