88 



BRITISH ORTHOPTERA. 



B. germanica looks somewhat like E. lappofoicus, but 

 is sensibly larger, and of a brio-liter colour. It lacks 



v ' D 



the " apical area ' of the wings, present in Ectobius, 

 and has a differently marked pronotum. 



FEMALE IMAGO (fig. 15 I).- -Except that it is longer 

 and a little broader in build, the female is similar to 

 the male. Like the male it has ample wings. 



OOTHECA (fig. 13, no. 5).- -In appearance the ootheca 

 of B. germanica is very different, not only from that 

 of the three preceding species, but also from that of 

 the three which follow. These six are well described 



FIG. 15. Blattella germanica Linnaeus, a, male ; Z>, female ( x 2). 



i 



as purse-like, but that of B. germanica is nearly 

 rectangular in shape, and not so thick, compared 

 with its length and breadth. The depressions between 

 the chambers containing the eggs are well-pronounced. 

 The ootheca is dark brown in colour, with a glossy 

 surface. The length is about 7 mm., and the breadth 

 about' 3 mm. Main found that the young emerged 

 almost as soon as the ootheca was deposited, and 

 Blatchley (the ' Blattidse of Indiana ') confirms this. 

 He says that B. germanica carries its ootheca for 

 several days with half or three-fourths of its length 

 protruding, and mentions the fact that one, with its 

 ootheca in this condition, was placed in a bottle at 

 11 p.m. and the young had emerged at 8 the following 



