﻿281. 



RANATRA LINEARIS. 



The linear Water-scorpion. 



Order Hemiptera. Fam. Nepidge hat... Leach. 

 Ttjpe of the Genus, Nepa linearis Linn. 

 Ranatba Lat., Fab. — Nepa Linn. — Hepa Geoff". 



AntenncE inserted beneath the head, close to the margin of the 



eyes (1, a), and lying in a groove, short and triarticulate, 



basal joint subcylindric, 2nd large, produced and spinous on the 



inside, 3rd slightly curved, elongate-conic (4). 



Labrum rather long and slender (3). 



Tongue ? attached to the head beneath the labrum, membranous, 



the edges coriaceous (3*). 



Mandibles and Maxillce, long and slender, passing through the 



labium. 



Labium as long as the head, cylindric, triarticulate, 1st and 2nd 



joints most robust, the latter rather the longest, the centre 



lobed above, 3rd joint conical and pilose (2). 

 Head small, subovate. Eyes lateral very prominent and globose. 

 Rostrum porrected (1). Clypeus elongated (the upper part of 

 fig. 3). Thorax elongated, slightly dilated anteriorly and more at 

 the base which is emarginate. Scutellum turbinate. Abdomen long, 

 linear, margined and slightly attenuated, divided at the apex and 

 furnished with 2 long setce. Elytra pergameneous, linear, an oblique 

 portion of the apex membranous and reticulated. Wings rather 

 shorter but much broader, folded, with a few nervures. Legs ; ante- 

 rior raptorius, scythe- shaped; Coxa very long and slender. Femur 

 and Tibiae united, very long and compressed, with a strong tooth on 

 the inside at their union, the internal edge of the tibia being serrated. 

 Tarsus forming a long curved, biarticulate claw, the terminal joint 

 being minute (6). Thighs and tibise of the 4 posterior legs very 

 long and slender. Tarsi slender, formed of 1 joint, terminated by 

 long slender and but slightly curved Claws. 



Linearis Linn. Faun. Suec. 245. n. 908. 



Fuscous ochre, sometimes vi^ith a reddish tinge. Eyes black. 

 Abdomen red above, the margins ochreous, the apex brownish. 

 Inferior wings opalescent, the nervures pale brown. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



