400 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Throughout Kfe the male enlarges but little; he becomes a little broader, longer, 

 and thicker, but not markedly so. The female, on the contrary, grows to a compar- 

 atively immense size, swelling day by day, her body becoming so rotund and replete 

 with the food drawn from her host that she can scarcely be recognized as of the 

 same species as the males. While her body has inflated, however, her head, legs, 

 and breathing pores have not undergone any changes. These remain exactly of the 

 same size as in the beginning, and with the exception of the head shield are but lit- 

 tle different from those of the male. The disparity in size between the legs and the 

 body of the fully gorged female is so marked that the legs and head appear even 

 smaller than at first. The comparatively small size of the male has caused it to be 

 overlooked, or, if found, caused it to be classed among the young of this species. 



After molting, the young female again attaches herself to her host, and seems 

 rarely to change her position. While she may be able to do so at first with ease, she 

 becomes so heavy and logy later on that any change would cause her to fall to the 

 ground should she loosen her hold with her beak. The males, however, remain 

 small and light, and it is not impossible for them to change their position, and no 

 doubt do so. After molting they hunt for mates through the dense growth of cattle 

 hairs and, finding them, attach to their host so that they can conveniently embrace 

 them belly to belly, and bring their external genitals in apposition. In this position 

 the males may be found with females of all sizes. That the attachment of the male 

 to the host is for food, as well as to facilitate copulation, there can be but Uttle doubt, 

 for his long continuance of life, his increase in size, and the tremendous drain upon 

 the little fellow in fertilizing the eggs demand it. 



Lounsbury (1900) has given a detailed account of a closely allied 

 form, Boophilus decoloratus^ found in South Africa. This account is 

 reprinted on pages 435-437 of this article. 



Family Argasidse^ Canestrini, 1892. 



Family diagnosis. — Ixodoidca: Scutum absent. Capitulum inferior (except in 

 hexapod stage, where it is antero-terminal). Digit of mandibles irregularly triangu- 

 lar, with broad swollen base; internal apophysis more or less transverse, acute at 

 both ends and inserted toward the middle of the digit; middle apophysis almost 



^Synonymy and Bibliography. 



1844: Fam. Argasiden Koch, 1844, pp. 219, 220.— Idem, 1847, pp. 11, 12. 

 1846: Fam. Argantidx Agassiz, 1846, p. 32. [See also Marx, 1892, p. 232.] 

 1861: Fam. Argasides Furstenberg, 1861, p. 208. 



1877: Subfam. Argasidse Murray, 1877, pp. 180-184.— Berlese, 1885, p. 131.— Riley, 

 1887, p. 744. 



1880: Tribe Argasides Megnin, 1880, pp. 132-136. 



1886: Tribe Argasines Railliet, 1886, pp. 499-502.— Neumann, 1888, pp. 89, 95,96.— 

 Idem, 1892a, pp. 93, 100, 101. 



1892: Subfam. Argasinx Trouessart. 1892, pp. 38, 46, 47.— Railliet. 1893,pp. 704, 715- 

 718.— Neumann, 1896, pp. 2-44.— Ward, 1900a, pp. 196, 197.— Idem, 1900b, 

 pp. 436, 437. [See also Trouessart, 1891, p. 308; misquotation tor Argasidse.} 



1877: Fam. Argasini Canestrini & Fanzago, 1877, pp. 192-194.— Canestrini, 1891, 

 pp. 530-536. [See also Trouessart, 1891, p. 307.] 



1892: Fam. ArgasidxCA^ESTmm, 1892, pp. 582, 587.— Marx, 1892, pp. 232, 233, 234.— 

 Trouessart, 1892, p. 22.— Salmon & Stiles, 1901, pp. 400-414. [See also 

 Gerstaecker, 1860, p. 464.— Trouessart, 1891, pp. 297, 298.] 



1892: Tribe Argasinx Neumann, 1892b, pp. 96, 104, 105. 



1892: Group Catastomata Maux, 1892, pp. 233, 234.— Morgan, 1899, p. 136. 



1893: Subfam. ^r-p'ttsines Railliet, 1893, pp. 715-718. 



