159 



yellow. Tegmina reddish brown, with the outer basal third rather broad- 

 ly margined with transparent whitish. Antenna? dusky, reaching back 

 but little beyond the tip of tegmina. Measurements : Male — Length of 

 body, 21 mm. ; to tip of tegmina, 27 mm. ; of tegmina, 22 mm. ; of anten- 

 n: 1 1, 28 mm.; of pronotum, 5 mm.; width of pronotum, 6 mm. Female — 

 Very nearly the same, the body being a little wider. 



This is a native species and is the most common cockroach in the State, 

 being found everywhere beneath the loose bark of logs and old stumps. 

 It is usually seen in the wingless stages, the mature individuals being 

 common only from May to October. The half grown young, described by 

 Scudder, as Ectobia litkophila, are of a shining, dark brown color, the dor- 

 sal surface of thoracic segments often lighter. As mature specimens are 

 attracted by light, country houses are often badly infested with them ; 

 and where food is scarce, the wall paper is sometimes much injured for 

 the sake of the paste beneath. What the hordes of young which dwell 

 under the bark of logs live upon is a question as yet unsettled, but the 

 larva' of other insects undoubtedly form a portion of their food, as in two 

 instances I have found them feeding upon the dead grubs of a Tenebrio.' 

 beetle ; while living, as well as decaying vegetable matter probably forms 

 the other portion. The mating of the imagoes mostly occurs in late 

 summer and early autumn, the newly hatched young being most abund- 

 ant from mid September until December. The young in various stages of 

 growth survive the winter in the places mentioned, they being the most 

 common insects noted in the woods at that season. Cold has seemingly 

 but little effect upon them, as they scramble away almost as hurriedly 

 when their protective shelter of bark is removed on a day in mid Janu- 

 ary with the mercury at zero, as they do in June when it registers a hun- 

 dred in the shade. 



The empty oothecse of this species are very common objects beneath 

 the loose bark of logs and especially beneath the long flakes of the shell 

 bark hickory. They are chestnut brown in color, from 7.5 to 10 mm. in 

 length by 4 mm. in breadth, and are much less flattened than those of 

 Phyllodromia germanica, or "Croton bug," described below ; while the dor- 

 sal or entire edge is slightly curved or bent inwards, after the fashion of 

 a small bean. The young, after hatching, evidently escape in the same 

 manner, as do those of the Oriental cockroach, as no break is visible in 

 the empty capsule. 



