T5S 



ARACHNOIDEA. 



CASE the food it has taken (as for instance, blood) through the walls 

 of the body. With few exceptions they are parasitic, at all 

 events at some period of their life, the majority being so on in- 

 sects; but there are others that are troublesome to birds and other 

 animals, forming the passage to the next section, the Ticks. They 

 form a very natural and easily recognised group. If we capture 

 a "shard-borne beetle" or a humble bee, we shall, very often, find 

 them infested by a large number of yellowish mites hanging about 

 their legs or adhering to their abdomen. These are almost sure 

 to be Gamasid^. They are sometimes of large size compared to 

 that of the animals on which they are parasitic. Did the same 

 proportion exist on man, we should have lice as big as our fists or 

 our hats. 



Sub-Family Gamasid^. 



When not free, parasitic on insects. 



Nos. 



I, 2. 



Genus Gamasus {Latr.). 



In this genus the body is covered 

 either in whole or in part by a 

 smooth and even chitonous shell. 

 The labrum is trifid. The second 

 pair of legs often thickened ; the first 

 pair usually the longest, but also the 

 slenderest. 



Gamasus coleoptratorum {Linn.). — 1. 

 Enlarged figure of ditto ; 2. Specimens (2). 



This species has only part of its 

 outer skin hard and chitonous ; there 

 is a soft white space between the 

 upper and under surface, and also a similar band across the back. 

 Its colour is fawn. Found on various beetles. In winter it is 

 found under stones. It is a peculiarity of all these parasites on 

 insects, that they soon die after being removed from the insect or 



Gamasus coleoptratorum. 

 About i line in length. 



