380 



AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



436. — Hemelytron of Nabis Jems. 



In this family the hemelytra are vestigial and the hind and middle 

 tarsi are four-jointed. The name of the typical genus, Polyctenes, was 

 probably suggested by the presence of several comb-like series of 

 spines on the body. 



Family NABID^ 

 The Nahids 



In this family the body is oblong and somewhat oval behind. 

 The beak is long, slender, and four-jointed. The hemelytra are 



longer than the abdomen, or are 

 very short. Some species are di- 

 morphic, being represented by 

 both long-winged and short-wing- 

 ed forms. In the forms with long 

 wings the membrane is usually 

 furnished with four long veins 

 bounding three discal cells, which 

 are often open; from these discal 

 cells diverge veins which form several marginal cells (Fig. 436). 

 The fore tibiae are armed with spines and are capable of being closed 

 tightly upon the femora, which are stout; they are thus fitted for 

 grasping prey. 



Nearly all of our common species belong to the genus Nabis; in 

 fact this genus includes twenty-six of the thirty-one species found in 

 this country. Due to an error made long ago, this genus has been 

 commonly known as Conscus; and most of the references to these 

 insects are under this name. 



Nabis ferus. — This is one of our most common species. It measures 

 about 8 mm. in length. It is pale yellow with nimierous minute 

 brown dots; the veins of the membrane are also brownish. This 

 species is distributed from the Atlantic Coast to the 

 Pacific. It secretes itself in the flowers or among the 

 foliage of various herbaceous plants, and captures small 

 insects upon which it feeds. 



Nobis subcoleoptrdtus. — The short-winged form of 

 this species is another very common insect (Fig. 437). 

 This is of a shining jet-black color, with the edge of 

 the abdomen and legs yellowish. The hemelytra 

 barely extend to the second abdominal segment. The 

 long-winged form of this species is not common; it is ^^f.j^'^;~^^j^^ 

 much narrower behind, and the hemelytra and the ab- 

 domen are rather dusky, or piceous, instead of jet-black. 



bis subcole- 

 optratus. 



Family REDUVIID^ 

 The Assassin-Bugs 



The Reduviidag is a large family, including numerous genera of 

 diverse forms. Many of the members of it are insects of considerable 



