70 



LOWER PTERYGOTA 



The mole crickets are extremely specialized as subter- 

 ranean forms. Tliey burrow in the earth and have become 

 adapted to this habit. They have a dense velvety covering, 

 which is doubtless serviceable as a protection against mois- 

 ture, etc. In one species the wings are considerably reduced, 

 but in another species they are longer. In all the species 

 the legs are well developed, and are excellent for digging and 

 burrowing, with toothed arrangements for pushing into the 

 soil, much as in the mole and other digging animals. These 

 teeth are mostly on the tibia. The tarsi are rather slender. 

 Almost the same kind of structures occur in certain beetles 



Fig. 34. — Grylloialpa Columbia: a, side view of anterior claw; b, the 

 same of G. horealis. (After Lugger.) 



and in burrowing Hemiptera. The mole crickets feed on 

 vegetation, especially tuberous roots of plants; sometimes 

 they dig into potatoes. Ordinarily they are not abundant 

 enough to attract much attention. The long-winged form 

 flies at night and sometimes flies into houses. They are 

 completely covered with a fine pile, as velvety as that of a 

 mole, and are also as well fitted for burrowing. 



EUPLEXOPTERA (DERMAPTERA). 



Earwigs. — The earwigs, or Euple.voptcru, are characterized 

 by the presence of four wings, the first pair of which are very 



