172 PREDACIOUS AND PARASITIC 



pronotum, and scutellum are strongly punctured, and the spines 

 of the tibige are very small. 



The two British genera are as follows : — ■ 



Capsus lafiarius (Linn.). Robust, oval, black, reddish black 

 or brown, shining. Femora black to pale in varying proportions ; 

 tibiae pale to brown ; coxae large, brown to yellowish. Antennae 

 black, with portions of second joint and two final joints pale, all 

 clothed with fine hairs. Anterior aspect of pronotum in propor- 

 tion to base in about i to 3 or i to 4 ; angles of base rounded, 

 black or stone-coloured yellow ; scutellum black or similar yellow, 

 very prominent ; both pronotum and scutellum thickly punctured. 

 Elytra black to brown or yellow, with a bright red patch oncuneus. 

 Portions of corium often dull red, all variably punctured ; cuneus 

 with a few stiff bristles, apex black usually ; membrane dark, with 

 curved vein partly red. The lighter specimens seem to be gene- 

 rally females, and are furnished with an ovipositor dividing the 

 posterior segments of the abdomen beneath. Mr. Saunders 

 mentions that all his dark examples are males. The species is 

 widely distributed, and may be found in gardens and on nettles, 

 etc. The length of the larva is about o"2 to 0*22, the nymph 

 about o'22 to 0*25 in.,' and the mature insect measures about 0*25 

 to o'3 in. in length, and 0*5 to o'6 in. across the expanded wings. 



Capsus scutellaris (Fab.), black, somewhat longer than C. lana- 

 rius, bright shining, with narrow red line on head and scutellum 

 (generally). Pronotum thickly and deeply punctured ; scutellum 

 smooth, prominent, shining, and unpunctured ; elytra much as in 

 C. lanarius, except for the patch on cuneus, and more closely 

 punctured ; membrane dark, not spotted. I have not seen the 

 larval form of this species, which is rare. The nymph measures 

 some 0*25 to o"266 in. in length, and the imago o'3 to 0*35 in. 

 These measurements are made on the male insect. The female 

 is said to be slightly less. Widely distributed, but rare. Mr. 

 Saunders has taken it on heather. I have found it on garden 

 plants in the country. 



The Anatomy of Aphidivorous Hemiptera. 



The anatomy of the Capsidae and of the Hemiptera generally 

 presents some striking departures from the general structure of the 



