430 



THE AMERICAN NATURALIST 



[Vol.. XLI 



9. Pentatomid eggs with translucent membranes containing 

 developing nymphs of a pale color undergo a characteristic darken- 

 ing as a result of the parasitism. Other eggs witli more opaque 

 membranes and dark colored developing nymphs do not exhibit 

 characteristic; changes in external appearance. 



JO. Females of Telenomiis ashmeadi show no hesitation in 

 ovipositing in infertile pentatomid eggs, and such eggs when 

 parasitized do not show the shrinkage which is usual in infertile 

 eggs. In the case of Emchistus servus they undergo tlie changes 

 in color characteristic of the parasitized fertile eggs of this species. 

 Although no adults have thus far been bred from parasitized in- 

 fertile eggs, the development of the parasite is at least partial, and 

 the observations here recorded furnish only slight evidence that 

 complete development in infertile host eggs is impossible. 



11. Sex of the offspring seems to be controlled to a great extent, 

 if not al)solutely, by fertilization. In nature where the chance 

 for a female parent to be fertilized is at a maximum the female 

 sex greatly predominates, whereas under laboratory conditions 

 w^hich artificially reduce the chances for mating of the adults, 

 the male sex predominates in an even greater proportion. 



12. In confinement in the laboratory, adult life under ordinary 

 temperature conditions lasts but a few days. The maxinium 

 period recorded during the month of July is tlnvc days, dining 

 September four days, and during October eiulii days. 



1.3. The a.lulls of l\lnwmu.s ashmeadi }ia\c net been obserxed 

 to k'vd an.l ap])an'ntlv this is not necessary for carrying on repro- 

 ductive fiiiKtion-.. 



WASHINcnOV, I). C. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



AsiniKAi), W. TT. 



1893. A inniinoniph nf thr North Ai.KM'icnn Proctotrypid^. U. S. 



X„f. .l/'/N.. l)ull. I.-.. 



Mm,;.,\n. II. a. 

 MoFUilLL. A. W. 



g 1907. The Mexican conchiicla in wcsici n Texas in 190.'). U. S. Dep. 

 of Agric, Bur. of Ent., bull. 64, pt. 1. 



