﻿V STY LOPS 303 



metamorphosis. They have heen observed in several species of 

 Homoptera ; and the writer has a large Fentatomid bug of 

 the genus Callidea, which bears a female 

 Strepslpteron apparently of large size. This 

 bug 1 is abundant and widely distributed in 

 Eastern Asia, and it may prove compara- 

 tively easy to keep stylopised examples 

 under observation. Both v. Siebold and 

 Nassonoff think parthenogenesis occurs in 

 Strepsiptera, but there appear to be no facts Fl \^^ZT tb- 

 to warrant this supposition. Yon Siebold rams) with a Strep- 



1 ,. ,-. 1 a n. • . sipteron (Xenos 9) in 



speaks ot the phenomena 01 btrepsipterous position, one of the 

 reproduction as paedogenesis, or pseudo- dorsal plates of the 



, ■ -> , ±1 wasp's abdomen being 



paedogenesis, but we must agree with removed, a, Projee- 

 Meinert that they cannot be so classed. tion of P art of * he 



o c ■ t parasite ; 0, line 111- 



The males oi Strepsiptera live lor only a dicating the position 

 very short time, and are very difficult of °, f * he removed dorsal 



, plate. 



observation. According to Hubbard the 

 males of Xenos dash about so rapidly that the eye cannot see 

 them, and they create great agitation amongst the wasps in the 

 colonies of which they are bred. Apparently they are produced in 

 great numbers, and their life consists of only fifteen or twenty 

 minutes of fiery energy. The males of Stylops are not exposed 

 to such dangers as those of Xenos, and apparently live somewhat 

 longer — a day or two, and even three days are on record. The 

 individuals of Andre.nct parasitised by Stylops are apparently 

 greatly affected in their economy and appear earlier in the season 

 than other individuals ; this perhaps may be a reason, coupled 

 with their short lives, for their being comparatively rarely met 

 with by entomologists. 



It is not possible at present to form a valid opinion as to 

 whether Stylopidae are a division of Coleoptera or a separate 

 Order. Yon Siebold considered them a distinct Order, and 

 Nassonoff, who has recently discussed the question, is also of that 

 opinion. 



1 Named by Mr. Distant Callidea baro ; according to the Brussels catalogue of 

 Hemiptera, Chrysoeoris grandis var. baro. 



