REVISION OF STREPSIPTERA PIERCE. 



31 



uation of the posterior segments becomes diminished and the terminal 

 segments of the female become more pointed than normally. The 

 teguments of the abdomen contract irregularly and often fold in dry- 

 ing after death, and assume a scarious appearance (Perez, 1886). 



On July 3, 1906, at Dallas, Tex., Mr. W. A. Hooker collected a male 

 Leionotus annulatus Say (fig. 1), at Ilelenium tenuifolium, containing 

 one female Leionotoxenos hookeri Pierce. It seems that in pushing 

 itself out between the segments the parasite completely split the dorsal 

 tergites of segments three, four, and five, and split segment two half- 

 way to the base. The parasite was located behind segment three. 

 This is the first case known to the author of an actual injury to the 

 body of the host. 



The accident and subsequent recovery of the host is in itself re- 

 markable, but the most curious part relates to the reparation of the 

 wounded parts. The broken surface of segment two fused solidly to 

 segment three and a portion of segment 

 four, the line of fusion being shown by the 

 difference in the puncturation. The right 

 broken edge of segment three, continuing 

 the fusion with segment two, fused solidly 

 to the left broken edge of segment four, 

 leaving a loose unconnected flap of segment 

 three above. Thus the parasite's cephalo- 

 thorax protrudes under the ledge formed 

 by fusion of segments three and four and 

 overlaps the right broken piece of the latter 

 segment. Only a small piece of segment 

 five is to be found. The right flap of the 

 terminal segment is greatly developed in 

 comparison to the left. As a consequence 

 of the strange fusion the color pattern is 

 greatly jumbled. 



With the inconsiderable amount of literature at hand, the writer 

 can find only one reference to reparation of chitin. Packard (1898, 30) 

 writes: "The reparative nature of chitin is seen in the fact that Ver- 

 hoeff finds that a wound on an adult Carabus, and presumably on 

 other insects, is speedily closed, not merely by a clot of blood but by a 

 new growth of chitin." 



This case is remarkable in that the insect recovered from wounds 

 inflicted from within by the struggles of a parasite very nearly filling 

 its abdomen, and inflicted at the time of metamorphosis while the body 

 was still tender. There is no evidence whatever of parasitism causing 

 a loss of vitality in this specimen. It is an interesting case in that it 

 ably illustrates the power of chitin to fuse and protect the body in case 

 of accident. 



Fig. 1.— Distorted abdomen of 

 Leionotus annulatus contain- 

 ing Leionotoxenos hookeri. 



