Article beginning on page 509.
Psyche 6:509-510, 1891.

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Psyche, 1893, Vol. 6.
Plate 19.
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PSYCHE.
THE PRIMITIVE NUMBER OF MALPIGHIAN VESSELS IN INSECTS.-IV.
BY WILLIAM MORTON WHEELER, PH-Dm, CHICAGO, ILL EPHEMERIDEA. Schindler* estimates
the number of Malpighian vessels of
Efhemeridea vulgata at about 40. I
have examined the nymphs of three
species of Ephemeridea belonging to
the genera Blasturus and Ecdyurus. In
one the vessels open separately into
the gut; while in the two others they
are distinctly ramified. An older
nymph of one of these species had
about 12 primary trunks, whereas in '
two much younger specimens there
were only 8. In all three species the
vessels were coiled and much enlarged
at their tips, so that the whole mass
resembled a chevaux-de-frise. Schind-
ler found similar conditions in .&'$he-
meraflavipes. I believe that the eight
primary trunks in the young Ephemerid
represent in
great part primitive ves-
sels. The still younger larva or the
embryo probably has only 4 or 6 simple
diverticula of the hind-gut.
ODONATA. Nothing is known con-
cerning the embryonic Malpighian
vessels in this order. Schindler + found 50-60 vessels in imagines of LibeZZuZa
flaveola, L. depessa, Aescha gran-
dis, Calo$teryx s$Zendens and Ag~z'on
@ella. It is more than probable that
the laivae and embryos have a much
smaller number.
PLECOPTERA. Perla Mcaudata ac-
cording to Schindler * has 50-60 vessels. I have been unable to secure embryos
of this interesting order. It is certain, however, that the larvae must hatch
with very few vessels, since a i; mm.
black and yellow Perlid larva, not un-
conlmoll under stones in rapid brooks
near Worcester, Mass., had only 14
vessels. The nearly mature nymph of
the same species (16 mm. long) had
more than 50.
CORRODENTIA. Lespes f found 8
Malpighian vessels in Temes Zacifu-
gas. Fritz Mtiller found 6 or 8 in
Calotermes and '^bei vielen arten von
Termes und ebenso bei Eutermes und
* 1. c. p. 625.
+ Recherches sur l'organisation et les moeurs du Termite lucifuge. Ann. sci. natur. 4. sdr. zool. v. 1856.
t Beitriige zur kenntniss der Termiten. Jen. zeitschr- bd. ix, 1875.




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510 l's2'-Ci!L!z'. [September 1893.
Anoplotermes bleibt die zahl der
harngefasse zeitlebens auf 4 he-
schrankt." According to Nitsch* Psocus
has 4 urinary tubules and authors
ascribe the same number to the Mal-
lophaga, according to Schindler. -f-
Thus, although the number 6 occurs
among the Corrodentia, the number
4 appears to be the more typical.
THYSANOPTERA. In his admirable
anatomical monograph of this order,
Jordan $ ascertains the number of
Malpighian vessels to be 4 ; 2 extend
into the thorax, while the remaining
pair lie coiled in the abdomen.
RHYNCHOTA. In Aphides Malpig-
hian vessels were not seen by
Schindler. $ Nor do I find any men-
tion of these organs in Will's em-
bryology of the viviparous forms. ]/
LeydigT found a single pair of
vessels in the Coccid Lecanium hes-
ĺ´peridur and Mark* * demonstrated
*Uber die eingeweide der biicherlaus, etc. Mag. f.
entomol. iv, 1821, p. 277.
f 1. c. p. 604.
^Anatomic und biologie der Physapoda. Zeitschr. f. wiss. 2001. bd. 47. 1888, p. 36 and 578. $ 1. c. p. 639.
1 Entwicklungsgeschichte der viviparen Aphiden. Spengel's Zool. jahrb. abth. f. mat. u. ontog. bd. iii, 1888.
IT Zur anatomie von Coccus hesperidum. Zeitschr. f. wiss. zool. bd. v. 1854, p. 3.
* * Beitrage zur anatomie u. histologie der pflanzen- laus insb. der Cocciden. Inaug. dissert. 1876 p. 52 et seq.
their occurrence in other species of the same group.
All other Rhynchota have 2 pairs,
which show some interesting vai-ia-
tions, tabulated by Schindler.* In
most genera the vessels end blindly,
but in others (Nepa, Velia, Gerris,
Capsus, Cimex) the ends of the pairs
are united in loops. In some genera
(Psylla, Cicada, Nepa) the four vessels
open separately into the intestine ; in
others (Pediculus, Cixius, Capsus,
Pentatoma), either pair has but a
single duct. Frequently the con~mon
ducts are swollen into vesicles (Velia,
Gerris, Lygaeus, Pentatoma, Cimex) .
The union of vessels both at their
distal and proximal ends is undoubt-
edly a secondary feature. In the em-
bryos of Cicada se$/en.decim and
Zaitha fluminea I fail to find any
.V union ; the vessels arise as four dis- crete diverticula.
It is more than probable that 4 is the
original number of Malpighian vessels
in the Rhynchota. The Coccidae and
Aphidae, the former with 2, the latter
without vessels, have lost one or both
pairs.
That such is the case is
shown
by the Coccid Orthezia cataphracq
which still retains 2 pairs.
+ Orthezia cataphracta, eine monographic. Zeitschr.
f. wiss, zool. bd. 45, 1887.




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