THE NATURAL ENEMIES. 
103 
Fig. 53.— Mite egg parasite. 
/', dietdoidet v •:■ n t r ic •> »■ u s 
_:ual). 
found in the egg slits, down amongst the woody fibers, where they 
could have little choice of food except that supplied by the Cicada 
eggs. In no case were the mites actually ob- 
served to be feeding on the eggs, but frequently 
the eggs were more or less shriveled and the 
contents extracted. 
All of the mites referred to below have been 
examined for me by Mr. Nathan Banks, a spe- 
cialist in this group, who has identified and 
described the material as far as its condition, 
as balsam mounts, permits. The accompanying 
illustrations are from very careful drawings made 
several years since by Mr. Pergande. who col- 
lected several of the mites and mounted and 
made preliminary studies of the others. Much 
of the material was collected by Mr. E. W. Allis 
at Adrian. Mich., in 1835, the balance by Mr. 
Pergande in the District of Columbia and near-by 
Cicada districts in Virginia in the same year. 
The Oribatid mites. — The members of the family 
Oribatidae have the popular designation of - ; beetle mites." arising from 
their possessing a hard chitinous covering causing them to resemble 
minute beetles. Some six distinct 
species were found in the adult stage 
associated with the egg* of the Ci- 
cada and several nymphal forms — 
the latter being often showily colored 
and the principal feeding stage of 
these mites. 
The following are Mr. Banks's de- 
terminations of the Oribatid mate- 
rial: (1) Oribata sp.. collected by Mr. 
Pergande in the District of Columbia 
in July, 1885; (2) Oribatella sp. (fig. 
50 . collected by Mr. E.W. Allis at 
Adrian. Mich., in October. L885; 3 
Oripoda elongate Bnks., Ms. fig, 5] . 
collected with the last: \ Oppiu 
pilosa links, fig. 52 . also collected 
at Adrian. Mich.; 5) Oribatula sp., 
collected by Mr. Pergande in the Dis- 
trict of Columbia and in Virginia in 
Jnly, 1885; (6) Oribatid nymphs, col- 
lected with the last and possibly be- 
longing to the same species; (7 }1<<j>- 
lophora sp.. collected by Mr. Allis in Michigan in October. L885, 
Miscellaneous predaceous mites. — The following mites have well-known 
tt. — Mite egg parasite, Tyroglyphu* sj>. 
(original). 
