In order to analyze the mechanism of ovarian development in the housefly, Musca domestica vicina Macquart, the functional role of fat body was investigated with special reference to nutrient supply to the developing ovary. 1. Histological study on the abdominal fat body of female fly showed that newly emerged one possesses two types of fat body; pupal fat body in a large quantity and adult fat body in a small quantity. The former contains much more amount of lipid and protein, whereas the latter abundantly encloses nucleic acid and lipid. And pupal fat body disappears shortly after emergence as a result of cell-lysis, while adult fat body exhibits vigorous development with aging of adults. Further, a correlationship was observed between the cell-lysis of pupal fat body and the growth of first-follicle. Such a tendency suggests us a close relationship between the function of fat body and the ovarian development. 2. To clarify the function of pupal fat body, the effect of protein or sugar diet on the egg production was next examined. The female fly given only a sugar diet is capable of producing the number of mature eggs which corresponds to about 70% of the milk-fed fly. When females were hemicastrated immediately after emergence, little difference was ascertained in the egg number of remaining ovary between the milk-fed and the sugar-fed ones. From these findings it was suggested that pupal fat body reserves so much quantity of vitellogenic substance to mature the follicles of unilateral ovary. 3. Effects of operation and starvation on the retention of pupal fat body were also investigated. Ovariectomy resulted in retardation of celllysis in pupal fat body, implying an influence of ovarian growth upon cell-lysis. Cell-lysis was also suppressed conspicuously in the starved-, decapitated- and allatectomized flies. With treatment of a juvenile hormone analogue, methoprene, cell-lysis of pupal fat body was accelerated remarkably in all females. From these facts it can be concluded that juvenile hormone stimulates cell-lysis of pupal fat body.

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Trombiculid mites were collected directly from rodents (Black rat, Rattus rattus and Amami Spinous Country-rat, Tokudaia oshimensis oshimensis) and Amami-rabbit, Pentalagus furnessi from February 1975 to October 1975 in Amami Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan (Fig. 1). 1. In results, 6.435 trombiculid mites consisting of 8 genera and 14 species were collected from 183 Amami Spinous Country-rat, 84 Black rats, and of 4,467 consisting of 7 genera 10 species from 6 Amami-rabbits (Tables 1 and 2). 2. L. kawamurai was the most dominant species in rodents. D. zentokii, which was not detected in the collection of unengorged larvae from soils, was collected from the rodents. 3. W. pentalagi was the most dominant species in Amami-rabbit but that was never found in rodents (Table 4). In fact W. pentalagi was specific to the Amami-rabbit, and it was possible to discover this mites infesting the nest of the Amami-rabbit (Suzuki, 1975), this fact has not been known hitherto. 4. Most of trombiculid mites collected are peculiar species to Amami Island, only 3 genera 7 species out of 9 genera 18 species are common to those found in the main islands of Japan. 5. Variation of the trombiculid mites fauna found on host animals is considered to be strongly related to the differences of the natural environments in which they inhabit. This corresponds with the facts of collections of unengorged larval trombiculid mites (Suzuki, 1973) from the nest hole of the rabbit.

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A new species Musca asiatica is described and figured. It is closely related to Musca sorbens and Musca cassara, but it is differentiated from both species by having 4 longitudinal stripes on scutum. This new species is found in Thailand, Malay peninsula, Borneo and Palawan.

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Six new species belonging to the genus Limnophora R.-D., namely L. argentifrons, L. aureifrons, L. argentigena, L. melanocephala, L. ryukyuensis and L. suzukii, are described and illustrated. All the species described in this paper were found on wet stones along mountain streams and they are endemic to the Amami and the Ryukyu Islands.

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The insecticidal activity of 2-methyl-5-(2-propynyl)-3-furylmethyl 2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate (Y-4042) was tested against Musca domestica vicina, Culex pipiens pallens and Blattella germanica by various bioassay methods. The topical application tests showed that Y-4042 is about 7 times as toxic as allethrin against mosquitoes. The KT_<50> of Y-4042 by dryfilm assay and the mortality in 24hr after the application against the other insects were superior to those of allethrin. As formulated in mosquito coils and electric evaporizer mats, Y-4042 proved its particular utility as the fumigants because of its high volatility : against mosquitoes, the Y-4042 coil showed KT_<50>=17min and mortality=100% at 0.4% concentration, whereas the allethrin mosquito coil showed 6.6min and 22.5%, respectively. Y-4042 was also so characteristic that very few mosquitoes recovered from paralysis caused by the application, in contrast to the heretofore known pyrethroids which often permit their revival.

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A new species belonging to the genus Orthellia R.-D., Orthellia cuprean. sp. from Thailand, is described and illustrated. This species is closely related to O. timorensis and O. coeruleifrons in external features, but it differs from the former by having uniform facets, silvery dusted 5th tergite, and olive green body, and from the latter it is easily differenciated by having bow-shaped 4th vein (m_<1+2>). This species was collected only in mangrove swamps.

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Three species of the genus Catapicephala Macquart were collected in the dense native forests in Thailand during our survey in 1975. Two of them were found to be new species. They are named C. kurahashii sp. nov. and C. michikoae sp. nov. Another species was identified as C. sinica Fan and was newly found. The descriptions and figures of the new species are given in this paper, comparing them with C. sinica and C. splendens. The differentiation of the three species found in Thailand is shown in the key to species of Catapicephala.

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Descriptions of four new and three uncertain species from Ethiopia are given with illustrations.

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Haematopota shinonagai, a new species is described from the central part of Honshu Island, Japan. Long cylindrical scape of antennae, much broader frons, irregularly shaped side marks and oblong basal callus on frons, paler scutellum, as well as glossy dark brown abdomen without any markings are the main characteristic features of this species.

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Tabanus hyugaensis, a new species was recorded based upon materials collected as larvae or pupae from Kyushu Island in 1976. This species is quite allied to T. otsurui Ogawa and T. masamitsui Hayakawa, but differs from both in its almost linear, lanceolate middle callus on frons, more darkened wings, and especially whitish tibiae of mid and hind legs in female.

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Redescription and figures are presented for Rhinoptes pternistis Fain, 1956 and Neoboydaia pternistis (Fain, 1955) newly recorded from the Chinese bamboo partridge Bambusicola thoracica thoracica (Temminck, 1815), in Japan.

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Feeding preference of manure-inhabiting mesostigmatid mites, i.e., Macrocheles muscaedomesticae, Parasitus gregarius, and Uroobovella marginata, was determined when they were given a choice between the house fly eggs and first-instar larvae, Musca domestica, in a test container. Under the same condition, these mite species were given, further, a choice of fly eggs (or larvae) and the rhabditid nematode, Rhabditis elongata, as an alternative prey. Finally, predatory efficiency of the three mite species for house fly eggs was examined using fresh pig manure, to which nematodes were added. Both fly eggs and larvae were preferred coordinately by female adults of M. muscaedomesticae. The adults fed preferentially on fly eggs, even when they were given together with nematodes. On the contrary, proto- and deutonymphs of this species preferred to feed on nematodes over fly eggs. Adults and deutonymphal stages of P. gregarius preferred to feed on fly larvae over eggs. Moreover, deutonymphs of this species showed a preference for nematodes over fly larvae and also over fly eggs. Deutonymphs as well as adults of U. marginata destroyed more fly larvae than eggs, when they were given a choice between these two preys. Adults of both sexes of this species showed a preference for nematodes, when they were given a choice between nematodes and fly larvae or between nematodes and fly eggs. Deutonymphs of this species also aggregated and fed on nematodes much more than fly eggs. The rate of predation by female M. muscaedomesticae adults on house fly eggs was kept so high in the fresh pig manure, to which nematodes were added as in the media without nematodes. On the other hand, predatory efficiency of P. gregarius and U. marginata deutonymphs on house fly eggs was much suppressed by the presence of nematodes which were added into the media.

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A study was made on the predatory responses of spiders to te house fly, Musca domestica vicina, which is an important household pest. In this experiment, 123 spider species belonging to 28 families were used in total. The prey flies were captured by 91 species belonging to 20 families. Among them, 41 species (14 families, 26 genera) were recognized as the useful natural enemies because of their efficiency in capturing flies and abundance in nature. The main families capturing the flies were found to be the following three; Argiopidae, Salticidae and Agelenidae. A series of experiments was conducted to observe the feeding behaviour of the following four species; Heteropoda venatoria, Tegenaria domestica, Plexippus paykulli and Theridion tepidariorum. P. paykulli captured all 20 flies put in a cage for a seven day period. However, H. venatoria captured 15 flies out of 20 for only three day period and showed no feeding behavior after. The mean number of daily capture was 4 or 5 flies for both T. tepidariorum and P. paykulli regardless of the prey density. Whereas, the others showed the increased number of capture according to the increase of prey density. H. venatoria prefered to catch cockroaches rather than flies but P. paykulli captured only flies.

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The adult and larva of Montisimulium sakhalinum (RUBTSOV) are newly described and illustrated. These materials were collected from slowly running streams in the forest of Daisetsu National Park, Nukabira, Hokkaido. Some biological notes are also given.

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Boophthora yonagoense makunbei n. ssp. taken from a slowly running stream flowing from the Makubetsu mineral-spring near Obihiro is described with some remarks.

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In the present third part of a series, of a total of 18 species of black flies so far recognized in the Nansei Islands, Japan, the following 6 species assigned to the subgenus Simulium Latreille s. str. are taxonomically studied, and the descriptive notes on all stages of them are also presented : Simulium (Simulium) arakawae Matsumura (new record), S. (S.) sakishimaense sp. nov., S. (S.) japonicum Matsumura, S. (S.) quinquestriatum (Shiraki) (new record), S. (S.) suzukii Rubzov and S. (S.) rufibasis Brunetti (new record). Of these, the new specific name S. (S.) sakishimaense is proposed for the species previously known under the name S. (S.) fenestratum, and another one, S. (S.) suzukii in place of S. (S.) ryukyuense and S. (S.) tuberosum as synonyms.

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Eighteen species of Simulium of the Nansei Islands, Japan were listed and females, males, pupae and mature larvae of all these species were keyed.

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In the present study, we examine three aspects of anautogenous reproduction in Culex pipiens molestus : first, the occurrence of blood-feeding by the nulliparous population, second, what is the status of ovarian development of these engorged mosquitoes, and finally what make use of the blood meal when they take it before the initial egg-laying. Approximately 100-200 laboratory-propagated male and female mosquitoes of the same age, were kept in cage of 20×20×20cm at 25℃ or 20℃. Sugar solution was provided at all times and a mouse as a blood source was exposed for 15 hours only once. Blood-feeding activity of the nulliparous population was observed in 194 mosquitoes or 1.55% out of 12,456 exposed on mice and one out of 3,638 at 25℃ and 20℃ respectively. In contrast, parous mosquitoes had fed on blood 76.19% at 25℃ and 22.76% at 20℃. After the exposure a part of mosquiotes either engorged or unengorged were examined with the ovaries. At approximately six hours after the feeding 13 of the 70 engorged, or 18% only, had the ovaries developed as much as most of the unengorged autogenous females did. However, the ovaries of 9 females were not deposited with the yolk granules at all, 43 females or 61.4% obviously delayed the development, though yolk granules were visible, compared with most of the unfed population, and the other five females were with incomplete ovaries. Among the 36 females that had fed on blood on the 6th day after emergence and were dissected 7 days later, 32 had stage V follicles. The mean number of the follicles was 103.5. On the contrary, unfed females developed only 48.1 follicles at stage V. When the engorged females were dissected two days later, the pattern of ovarian development revealed in most individuals is similar in numbers of stage V follicles and a more numerous sets of secondary follicles at stage III, as already reported in Culex tarsalis by Bellamy and Corbet (1973). Thus the engorged females greatly increased their fecundity by developing the first and second follicular sets at the same time.

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The field tests to estimate the controlling effects of various insecticides, 5% diazinon emulsifiable concentrate, 10% fenitrothion and 5% fenthion emulsifiable concentrate, 5% diazinon aqueous insecticidal concentrate and 3.3% diazinon granule, on the larvae of mosquitoes, Culex pipiens pallens and Armigeres subalbatus, living in the fertilizer pots were carried out in Misato city from July 22 to Sept. 2,1976. By the application with the rate of 1ppm of active ingredients of each insecticide to the fertilizer pots, the larvae and pupae of these mosquitoes disappeared completely in one or three days after treatment. The reappearance date of larvae in the fertilizer pot was the 3rd day after application with fenitrothion EC, the 9th day with fenthion EC, the 15th day with diazinon EC, and the 21st day with diazinon AIC and G. Number of the fertilizer pots of which restoration of larvae population was observed at the 43rd day after application was 7 pots among 8 tested pots with fenitrothion EC, (7/8), 6/8 with fenthion EC, 6/8 with diazinon EC, 3/7 with diazinon AIC and 4/7 with diazinon G.

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The house dust mite has been incriminated as a major allergen of house dust in respiratory allergic diseases. Surveys were undertaken to study the mite fauna in house dusts collected from the residence of asthmatic as well as of non-asthmatic children living in and around Tokyo. House dusts were collected by electric sweeper for a week and stored in a deepfreezer until the observation. Mites were isolated from the fine dust caught on a 200 mesh sieve by flotation and centrifugation method with Darling's solution (equal volume of glycerin and saturated sodium chloride solution). Of 24 samples collected in summer, number of mites varied greatly and the average number was 499 in 0.5g of fine dust or 133 per square meter of floor. As to the mite fauna, Pyroglyphidae constituted 85%, Tyroglyphinae 3.1%, Glycyphaginae 1.3%, Cheyletidae 2.8%, Tarsonemidae 0.7%, Mesostigmata 1.3%, and Oribatei 4.4%. Among Pyroglyphid mites, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus constituted 36% and D. farinae 39% but no significant difference was noted statistically as to the dominancy between the two. Of 9 cases, seasonal change of mite fauna was studied. The number of mites decreased in winter but no statistical difference was found among seasons. Neither the changes in dominant species were noted. Eleven control dust samples were collected from houses without asthmatic patients but no significant difference was noted in number of mites or density per square meter from those observed in the residences of asthmatic children. Mite fauna was also similar to that in the asthmatic houses.

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A brief survey was undertaken to ascertain the mosquito fauna of Minami Daito Island (31(km)^2), about 350km southeast of Okinawa Is., from 22 to 27 May, 1976. The following 11 species were found on this island : Culex fatigans Wiedemann, Aedes togoi (Theobald), Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Aedes vexans nipponii (Theobald), Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillett), Mansonia uniformis (Theobald), Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann, Malaya genurostris Leicester, Coquillettidia sp., Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles, Culex halifaxii (Theobald). Among the species collected, the last 4 had not been previously recorded from this island.

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