120 LIFE HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICAN TICKS. 
TaBLeE XLII.—WNonparasitic period of Margaropus annulatus australis. 
All larvee dead. 
Female raat Preovipo- Li oe 
Oviposi- ys Hatching | ; F Larval 
dropped : sition incubation Peri neat 
engorged. tion began. period. began. period. ie a oe et longevity. 
female. 
1908 1908 Days 1908 Days 1908 Days Days 
iN ig) BWsnecose May 5 5 | Jume'G---.- Aug. 27 ] 
U7 005 3\) eee May 6....- 6 | June 8..... 33 | Aug. 15 107 68 
Aprs30). m5 May 7 7 )) dune9-- eee 33 | Aug. 19 111 71 
Aprrs0nc cat 2 May 8. 8 | June 8....- 31 | Aug. 14 106 67 
JNO B eso kaqee May 11 11 | June 10 30" | ANTE cee 99 
ANODE US6a50Rr May 13 13 || June $2.--- 25 | Aug. 24 116 77 
The nymph (Tables XLIII-XLIV).—The nymphs were found to 
molt as soon as the eighth day, or 14 days after attachment, the last 
observed molting on the thirteenth day, or 19 days after attach- 
ment. It was observed that in molting, as in annulatus proper, the 
young nymphs detach from the old point of attachment and reattach 
about one-eighth of an inch away, the old skins remaining attached 
to the hide after being shed. 
Pound reports 7 days to be required for the nymphal stage, while 
Lahille places this period at 9 days. 
The adult (Tables XLIII-XLIV).—In molting the females, 
like the nymphs, move from the old points of attachment, leaving 
the skins, and attach from one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch 
away. The mating habits of australis are similar to those of annulatus 
proper. After molting the male feeds for a number of hours and 
then starts in search of a mate with which, when found, it may 
remain until the female drops engorged. Males have been observed 
to remain in the position of copulation with females of Margaropus 
annulatus and Dermacentor nitens as long as 3 days. Lahille has 
observed copulation to take place off the host. We have not deter- 
mined the period that the males remain upon the host, but Lounsbury 
states that it is usually about a month. 
The adults have engorged and dropped as soon as the twenty- 
second day after attachment or 8 days after molting. In three 
infestations observed, the last engorged female dropped on the 
twenty-seventh day from attachment, or 9 days after the last nymph 
was observed to molt. Lounsbury reports the parasitic period 
(from the application of larve to the dropping of the females) to be 
from 18 to 38 days, but usually 23 days. 
