90 



III. 



H E M I P T E R A. 



The Hemiptera are particularly distinguished from other kinds of 

 insects by the form of their mouth, which consists of a beak, more or 

 less long, composed of six parts : that is, of a lower lip, or sheath ; 

 four internal threads, representing the mandibles and jaws of the 

 grinding insects, and which are the perforating parts of the beaks ; 

 and, lastly, of the upper lip or labrum. Owing to this apparatus, 

 these insects are essentially sucking ones, and chiefly nourish them- 

 selves with the juices of vegetables, which they draw up with their 

 beak. The wings of the Hemiptera are usually four in number ; in 

 some species they are membranous and similar to each other, and 

 in others the upper are of rather harder consistency than the lower 

 ones. In general, the former are quite different from the lower 

 wings, and are only membranous at the tip, whereas the other part is 

 thick, tough, and coriaceous. 



The Hemiptera are divided into two very distinct sections. The 

 one is composed of insects whose beak grows from the forehead or 

 upper part of the head, and whose anterior wings are half coriaceous 

 and half membranous, having the base of a different texture from 

 the extremity : these are the Heteroptera {'^repos, different ; irr^pov, 

 wing). The other section is composed of those whose beak grov/s 

 from the lower part of the head, and whose anterior wings are always 

 of the same consistency throughout : these are the Homoptera (ofxas, 

 the same ; i^Tepou, wing). We are about to give the history of these 

 two sub-orders. 



Heteroptera. 



The insects formerly known .by the general name of Bugs have 

 been divided by Latreille into two large families, containing : the one ■ 

 the Gcocorisa^,^ or Land Bugs ; the other the Hydrocorisx^\ or Water ;■ 

 Bugs. 



* From 7')7, the earth, and Kopis, a bug. 



f From uSojp, water, and Kopi.^^ a bug. 



