54 
Psyche 
[Sept .-Dec. 
Only two variations in wing venation were found on the many 
specimens examined. Figure 10 shows a malformed short wing, 
that appeared on two individuals, the opposite wing being nor- 
mal. Figure 11 illustrates the one case where peculiar venation 
was found in an otherwise normal wing. The extremity of R 4+5 
is bent and M 1 does not reach the margin of the wing. Figure 14 
is a normal wing. A greater degree of stability in wing vena- 
tion is apparent in this genus because anomalies have rarely 
appeared among the individuals of E. californicus that have 
been raised on corn sheaths in the laboratory. Perhaps this 
lack of variability accounts for the fact that the genus is limited 
to two species in the United States. 
E. pumilis first attracted my attention in October, 1938 when 
it was found in great numbers infesting the ears of corn in 
fields at Lawrenceville, 111. During this work it has been taken 
from dry alfalfa stubble, dry grass, dead Viburnum , bamboo 
furniture, dried leaves of oak, maple, elm and palm. Habitats 
previously reported were dead oak leaves, straw and debris in- 
doors, and windows of a cattle barn. 
Of the thirty-five species in the family Caeciliidae recorded 
from the United States this is one of twenty-two for which both 
males and females are known. The two species of Ectopsocus 
have both sexes known, but it is interesting to note that both 
males and females of the related species E. californicus have 
been taken only in California, while the females alone have been 
collected from Connecticut, New York, Virginia, Kentucky, 
North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. From work 
done by McClure (4) on the life history of E. californicus on 
palms in the University of Illinois greenhouses, and from my 
observations of this species in corn sheath cultures it is evident 
that E. californicus reproduces parthenogenetically and males 
do not occur. This information, along with collection records, 
suggests that E. californicus might be parthenogenetic in the 
East. It is interesting to note that the known distribution of 
the eastern parthenogentic (?) strain of E. californicus coin- 
cides almost state for state with that of E. pumilis. The sex 
ratio of E. pumilis was 0.5 and reproduction by parthenogenesis 
was not observed at any time. 
Mating. — Copulation was observed several times, but the 
procedure varied to some extent each time. Sometimes the male 
just approached the female from the side, and backed into the 
