AXJ^ALS OF THE TkANSVAAL MuSEUM, 



161 



almost as long as the claAvs ; a double row of hairs on the ventral margin 

 of the four last articles. 



Female (unengorged). — Body flattened^ oval^ wider behind^ 3.5 mm. 

 long by 1.6 mm. wide ; colour usually light reddish brown, sometimes 

 whitish. Rostrum {XVI, e, f), legs and shield deeper coloured. 

 Dorsal shield [XVI, m) elongate, oval sides convex, almost equal 

 to half the length of the body ; punctuations equal, deep and 

 regularly distributed over the whole surface ; no eyes present ; 

 cervical grooves deejJ, then shallow, concavity outward, extending 

 almost two-thirds of length of shield ; no marginal grooves pre- 

 sent; cervical emargination deep, rectangular. Dorsal surface with numerous 

 punctuations and a few very short hairs, with a prominent marginal 

 groove, forming the inner margin of the three outer festoons on each side ; 

 festoons almost square ; two short anterior grooves ; three long posterior 

 grooves. Ventral surface with punctures and hne Mdiitish hairs as on dorsal 

 .surface ; sexual orifice relatively narrow^ transverse with a surrounding- 

 ring, elongated from front to back, situated opposite coxae II ; sexual 

 grooves not very deep, concave and diverging from their origin ; anal 

 groove somewhat V shaped ; ano-marginal groove larger than in male, 

 -equal to about a quarter of the length of the body ; posterior festoons 

 very distinct ; anus large, circular, five spines on each valve and near the 

 circumference ; stigmatic plates whitish, short, comma shaped, almost 

 circular. Rostrum sliglitly shorter than that of male ; base a little shorter 

 than that of the male, and posterior angles of dorsal base not quite so 

 large ; porose areas well separated, rounded ; mandibles {XVI, g) longer, 

 inner apophysis at digit not so thick as in male, and transverse process 

 lunate in shape, opening outward ; outer apophysis with six teeth, two basal 

 ones large, four anterior ones small and arranged on a separate articulated 

 apophysis ; hypostome as in male, only there may be five rows of teetli 

 on each lialf instead of four ; palpi longer and narrower tlian in those of 

 male, no retrograde looth on the ventral side of article II. Legs as in 

 male, except the tarsi are longer, and the terminal s]^ine is not so strong ; 

 ■coxae are not so wide, and the spines are not so strong as in tlie male ; 

 caruncle reaches only tliree quarters of the length of the claws. 



When engorged, Ibe Ixxly is ovoid, of a bluish or greyish brown colour, 

 and often attains a length of 11 mm. l)y 7.5 mm. in width. The grooves 

 of the unengorged female disappear, and in their place we have faintly 

 indicated dotted lines ; on the dorsal surface two anterior, short, and 

 •diverging grooves, and three long ])osterior grooves, the median of which 

 is straight, while the laterals have their convexity inward ; on the ventral 

 surface are the genital grooves, ano-marginal grooves, and two very short 

 grooves on each side of the ano-marginal groove ; on account of the swelling 

 of the body the genital opening becomes shifted anteriorly to a position 

 opposite coxae I. 



Nymph (unengorged). — Body elongate, elliptical ; colour dark chest- 

 nut brown ; length 1.5 mm., width 1 mm. Dorsal surface bears a marginal 

 furroAv as in the female ; festoons Avell marked, three prominent dorsal 

 grooves, deep and of equal length. Shield dark brown ; ])entagonal in 

 shai3 3 ; as Avide as long- ; Avidely rounded l)ehind ; punctuations fine and 

 evenly distributed ; no eyes ; cervical o-rooves not very deep, straight and 

 •extending to posterior margin. Ventral surface lighter in colour ; fesfoonsi 



