CHAPTER XVII 

 ORDER HEMIPTERA* 



The True Bugs 



The winged members of this order have four wings; the wings of the 

 first pair are thickened at the base, with thinner extremities which overlap 

 on the back. The mouth-parts are formed for piercing and sucking; the 

 beak arises from the front part of the head. The metamorphosis is incom- 

 plete. 



People who know but little regarding entomology are apt to apply 

 the term bug to any kind of insect; but strictly speaking, only members 

 of the order Hemiptera are bugs. 



The bugs are very common insects. Many species abound on grass 

 and on the foliage of other plants; some species live on the surface of 

 water; others live within water; and a few are parasitic on birds and 

 mammals. 



This order is a very important one; it includes many species in- 

 jurious to vegetation; among these are some of our more important 

 pests of cultivated plants. On the other hand, some of the species are 

 ranked among beneficial insects on account of their predacious habits; 

 for many of them feed upon noxious insects. 



The name Hemiptera was suggested by the form of the front wings. 

 In these the basal half is thickened so as to resemble the elytra of beetles, 

 only the terminal half being wing-like. The hind wings are membranous, 

 and are folded beneath the front wings. On this account the front wings 

 are often termed wing-covers; they are also termed hemelytra, a word 

 suggested by their structure. 



In the Hemiptera the front wings present characters much used in the 

 classification of these insects; and consequently special names have been 



applied to the different parts of them. 

 The thickened basal portion is com- 

 posed of two pieces joined together 

 at their sides; one of these is narrow 

 and is the part next to the scutellum 

 when 1;he wings are closed; this is 

 distinguished as the clavus (Fig. 146, 



Fir,. 146. — Diagram of a front wing of a bug: C l) \ the Other part is the COrium (Fig. 

 d, clavus; co, cerium; *, membrane. ^ ^ The terminal portion of the 



front wing is termed the membrane (Fig. 146, m). In certain families, 

 the Anthocoridae for example, a narrow piece along the costal margin of the 

 wing is separated by a suture from the remainder of the corium; this is the 

 embolium (Fig. 149, e). In certain other cases, as the Miridas for example, a 

 * Hemiptera: hemi- (17/u). half; pteron (irrepov), a wing. 

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