638 



HEMIPTERA. 



species of Belostoma, the former of which he found in the 

 spring "under an old log just at, but above, the edge of the 

 water. On the 18th of June they hatched out a most amusing 

 flock of young bugs, nearly as large as squash bugs, and light 

 yellowish green in color, which soon changed to dark gray." 

 The 3'oung, two days old and previous to moulting, were .35 

 of an inch long. The eggs are smooth, cylindrical, 16 of an 

 inch long, and are deposited in a mass of about ninety eggs, 

 attached by the posterior end to a mass of silk-gum. They 

 partially overlap each other, and the j^oung escape by a round 

 lid, indicated by a semicircular white line. 



The genus Ranatra is remarkable for its long linear body, 

 terminating in the long respiratory tube. The prothorax is 



greatly elongated, while the 

 mesoscutellum is short. " The 

 eggs of the genus Ranatra are 

 more elongated than in Nepa, 

 and are furnished above with 

 two slender setae. According to 

 Rosel, they are deposited at 

 random in the water, but Geoffrey 

 states that the}' are introduced 

 into the stems of aquatic plants, 

 ^^ \ ^^^. \ the elongated filaments being 

 ^ h ^^ \ alone exposed. Our most com- 



mon form is Ranatra fusca Beau- 

 vois (Fig. 543). 



The genus Nepa has very short 

 three-jointed antennae, the two 

 / \ last joints being expanded later- 



ally. The body is flat, oval, 

 with two long respiratory tubes, 

 while the thorax is trapezoidal, 

 and the mesoscutellum is very 

 large ; the thighs are dilated, 

 ■siath a notch to receive the tibia, 

 which is curved and soldered to the tarsus. The genus is very 

 predaceous, feeding like Ranatra and others on the larvae of 

 Ephemerae. "-The eggs are deposited in the water ; they are 



Fig. 543. 



