THE TOAD BUGS 



(Family Galgulidce.) 



The odd and ugly little insects of this group have been 

 appropriately termed the "toad-shaped bugs." The short, 

 broad body and the projecting eyes, as well as the dull mottled 

 colors, are toad-like. They are not true water bugs, but live in 

 moist places along the banks of streams and ponds. Unlike the 



Fig. 172. — Galgulus oculatus Fab. Greatly enlarged 

 (After Lugger.) 



true water bugs, they have no ocelli, and are in other ways quite 

 different structurally. It is not a large family, and only twenty 

 species are known, of which three inhabit the United States. 

 Galgulus oculatus Fab. is a common species, and its life history 

 should be thoroughly studied. 



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