. Annual report. Entomological Society of Ontario; Insect pests; Insects -- Ontario Periodicals. 1906 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Ill THE LOCTTST MITE. By T. D. Jarvis, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph. During the past summer the Locust Mite {Tromhidium locustarmn, Eiley) has been very common at Guelph, especially on the Red-legged Lo- cust {Melanoplus femur-rubrum), but a few specimens have also been found upon the Two-striped Locust (Melanojflus bivittatus). The mite is most gen- erally found attached to the base of the second pair of wings, although it is also found on the wing itself, and o
. Annual report. Entomological Society of Ontario; Insect pests; Insects -- Ontario Periodicals. 1906 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Ill THE LOCTTST MITE. By T. D. Jarvis, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph. During the past summer the Locust Mite {Tromhidium locustarmn, Eiley) has been very common at Guelph, especially on the Red-legged Lo- cust {Melanoplus femur-rubrum), but a few specimens have also been found upon the Two-striped Locust (Melanojflus bivittatus). The mite is most gen- erally found attached to the base of the second pair of wings, although it is also found on the wing itself, and on any other part of the body where it cannot be readily detached by the locust; a favourite position upon the body is between the segments of the thorax and abdomen, and also behind the upper joints of the legs; in such positions their only means of attachment to their host is apparently by their mandibles. The j^oung mites are nearly spherical, and look very much like the eggs of insects (Fig. 32, b). The mite sucks the blood of its host until it reaches maturity, during which time it often becomes so swollen wdth food that its legs are rendered very inconspicuous (Fig. 31, a). As many as five of these young larvae have been found upon a single locust. The adult mite is of a bright crimson color and about one-eighth of an inch long (Fig. 31, c, d). When full-grown it passes to the ground, where it remains over winter. Dr. Riley, who has studied the life-history of this mite, states that the eggs are laid an inch or so under the ground in clusters containing between 200 and 400. Early in the spring from these eggs emerge the young mites, which, upon reaching the surface of the ground, attach themselves to their hosts. These little mites render good service in checking the spread of the locusts, as almost every locust upon which one is found ap- pears to be more feeble and sickly than those which have not been Fig. SI^Trombidium Locustarum—(a) mature larva when abou
Size: 2470px × 1012px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectinsectp, bookyear1872
