102 
THE PERIODICAL CICADA. 
several represent species which are well known to subsist on soft-bodied 
insects or other animal food. An almost equal number, however, belong 
Pig. 50.— Mite egg parasite, Oribatella sp. 
(original) . 
Fig. 51. — Mite egg parasite, Oripoda 
clongata (original). 
to a family of mites, the Oribatidre, which, so far as the habits of the 
species are known, comprises, with few exceptions, strictly herbivorous 
mites, or such as subsist on 
vegetable decay. A few 
species, however, of this 
family possess mouth struc- 
tures which indicate that 
they usually prey on other 
insects, and some of them are 
known to feed on decaying 
animal substances. In this 
country two species have 
been recorded as being true 
insect parasites, namely, 
Notlirus ovivorous Packard 
and Oribata aspidioti Ash- 
mead, the former having 
been observed to suck the 
eggs of the cankerworm, 
and the latter to feed on 
scale iu sects in Florida. The 
types of these two species 
have not been preserved, and 
there is some doubt as to 
their correct reference. 
All of the mites associated with the eggs of the Cicada, both those 
of doubtful and those of well-known predaceous habits, were invariably 
Fig. 52. — Mite egg parasite, Oppia pilosa (original). 
_, 
