530 FAMILY XVIII. — PLOIARIID^E. 



Sarasota and R. P. Park, Fla., Dec. 11 — April 18. Recorded 

 from numerous other places in Florida and probably occurs 

 throughout that State. About Dunedin the nymphs are com- 

 mon in winter on or beneath the dead leaves of cabbage pal- 

 metto. In Indiana it occurs especially on ceilings and rafters 

 of porches, outhouses, attics, barns and other old buildings. 

 Two were once taken from corners in the leather top of an 

 open surrey. It is usually gregarious where found, and I at one 

 time took it in numbers from Crataegus in August. Its known 

 range extends from Canada and New England west to Iowa 

 and southwest to Florida, Texas, Mexico and Central America. 

 It was first described by De Geer 1 1773, 352) as Cimex longipes 

 and most of the records in this country have been under the 

 name Emesa longipes (DeG.). His name was, however, pre- 

 occupied. This is by far our most common Ploiarid and much 

 has been written of its habits. Say in the notes accompanying 

 his original description says : 



"The anterior pair of feet may be compared to those of Mantis and 

 Empusa. They are much shorter than the others and are used almost 

 altogether for the purpose of seizing and conveying the prey to their 

 mouth, whilst the two posterior pair support the body and move it from 

 place to place. Their movements are rather slow and unsteady, moving 

 up and down upon their legs as they proceed forwai"d in the manner of 

 the crane-fly (Tipida). They feed on small insects.' 



Uhler (1876, 333; 1878, 429, and 1884, 276) says: 



"Older specimens are often suffused with red, a kind of ripening 

 toward the autumn, which we have observed to be common in Euschistus, 

 Coreus, etc. The distinctness of the white bands upon the legs depends 

 upon individual peculiarities, such as maturity and rank feeding. The 

 obese females full of maturing eggs are common late in summer, present 

 a very gross appearance and seem very different from the clearly colored 

 virgin types found earlier in the season. When lodged on the twig of a 

 tree or bush it has a curious habit of swinging back and forth like some 

 of the long legged spiders, such as Phalangium. In Maryland its prin- 

 cipal home is in the young pine trees where it may be seen with its two 

 fore legs placed close together and stretched out in front as is the habit 

 of our common Phasmid, the Diapheromera femorata. Occasionally it 

 leaves the trees and takes shelter in sheds, outhouses and barns, where 

 it may be seen overhead swinging by its long legs from a rafter or the 

 lining of a roof. The nymphs may be found roaming over trees during 

 early summer, but by the middle of August they acquire wings and 

 become fully developed adults." 



Banks (1909, 48) says : ''There is but one generation a year. 



