CHAPTER XIV 

 THE WINGS OF THE EMBHDINA 



The winged members of this order have two pairs of wings, which are 

 quite similar in form and structure. The wings are elongate, membranous, 

 extremely delicate, and folded on the back when at rest. The venation of 

 the wings is considerably reduced; this reduction has been brought about 



^'^'^^^^ ^^ '^\M<'<'mf ^ 



Fig. 259. — Fore wing of Oligotoma saundersi: A, the wing; B, 



outline of the wing showing the existing venation ; C, outline 



of wing showing the venation restored (After 



Wood-Mason). 



both by the coalescence of veins and by the atrophy of veins. In a single 

 species, Clothoda nohilis from South America, the cubitus bears accessory 

 veins; but even in this species the radial sector is only three-branched and 

 the media is reduced to an unbranched condition. The cross-veins are 

 comparatively few in number. The females are always wingless; and in 

 two of the eleven known genera both sexes lack wings. 



Each of the veins of the wings extends along the middle of a brown 

 band; between these bands the membrane of the wing is pale in color. 



(262) 



