Speare: Massospora cicadina Peck 



SI 



germination was observed, when, after such treatment they were 

 suspended in a drop of water in Van Tieghem cells. Similar 

 negative results were obtained in attempts to germinate resting 

 spores that had previously been treated with dilute hydrochloric 

 acid for a short time. 



The writer has obtained no information in these studies re- 

 garding the manner by which Massospora cicadina passes the 16 

 years and 9 months' subterranean existence of its host. That it 

 lives during this period either on the larvae of T. septendecim, 

 or on other similar biennial cicadas seems the reasonable suppo- 

 sition, yet there is no evidence at hand to support this theory. It 

 is probable that when it has been determined how, for example, 

 Entomophthora muscae and other species that are not known to 

 form resting spores, live over winter (see Lakon, 1919 b), infor- 

 mation will be at hand that will be of value in solving the peculiar 

 conditions involved in the present instance. 



From the economic viewpoint it must be stated that if the 

 fungus is confined largely to spent males and does not attack and 

 kill the larvae (the writer observed it only on adult individuals), 

 its importance as a natural check to the spread of this insect is 

 almost negligible. Investigation should be made, however, of 

 larvae two or three years before their emergence in order to de- 

 termine whether or not the fungus is present. 



These studies show, it is hoped, that there can no longer be any 

 question regarding the relationship of Massospora cicadina to 

 other entomogenous Entomophthorales, and that while it is a 

 very distinct form in many respects, it falls quite naturally into 

 the above mentioned family. 

 Bureau of Entomology, 



United States Department of Agriculture, 

 Washington, D. C. 



Literature Cited 



Butler, A. W. 1886. The periodical cicada in Southwestern Indiana. Bui. 



12, Div. Ent. U. S. Dept. Agri., July, 1886, p. 24. 

 Forbes, S. A. 1888. On the present state of our knowledge concerning insect 



diseases. Psyche, Vol. V, p. 3. 

 Giard, A. 1888. Fragmentes Biologiques XI, Sur Quelques Entomophthorees. 



Bull. Scient. de la Fr. et Belg. Tome, XIX, p. 298. 

 Lakon, G. 1919a. Die Insektenfeinde aus der Familie der Entomophthoreen. 



Zeii, f. Angew. Entom., Bd. V, 1919, p. 186. 



