51 



These homely terms seem to be sufficient for descriptive alhi- 

 sion. There is no doubt, 1 suppose, but that these hooks arc 

 used for gripping the female during copulation, but it is cer- 

 tainly a point for observation and confirmation. The figures 

 are a little diagrammatic, as the parts are rarely in the same 

 plane. 



Although, like the Reduviidae, adapted for a life of rapine, 

 the Nabidae are not entirely predaceous, nor indeed are the 

 Reduviidae always. In these islands, nymphs and adults prey 

 on Leaf-Iioppers, Aphidae, Psocidae, small Diptera, etc., but 

 R. capsiformis also sucks up the sweet secretion of the Asiracid 

 Perkinsiella saccharicida (l). Various notes on exotic species 

 have been made ; thus the holarctic R. ferns has been recorded 

 as preying on the Cecidomy id-fly Mayetiola destructor (2) ; the 

 palaearctic R. limhatus on Tipiila paludosa (3) ; R. myrmicodes 

 on the eggs of the butterfly Pieris (4) ; and R. a p tents on Aphi- 

 dae in the gall-crumpled leaves of Ulnius (5). Of course these 

 are isolated fragments, but are sufficient to indicate the nature 

 of their food-supply. Like most predaceous Heteroptera, Redu- 

 violus can stab pretty severely {^), though it can not obtain the 

 same purchase as the Reduviidae with their firm, hard, beaks. 



Exotic species of Reduviohts are usually found in mixed, low 

 herbages, grasses, sedges, etc. ; one species {myrmicodes) on the 

 ground, with ants. In these islands, R. capsifonnis is found in 

 grasses and weeds in rather dry places as a rule, while in similar 

 situations is found R. blackhurni, though at rather higher, and 

 in fact wetter, elevations, and more naturally perhaps, among 

 fern.s, especially "Staghorn" (Gleichenia dichotoma). The spe- 

 cies of Nesotyphlias are found on the ground and on tree-ferns ; 

 the rest are arboreal. The arboreal forms seem to be somewhat 

 restricted in their hunting-trees. R. kahavalu is restricted to 

 Sophora chrysophylla and seems, so Dr. Perkins informs me, 

 to be the most arboreal of all the species. R. tarai is always 

 on Cyathodes, though naturally it occurs on other plants which 



(1). PerkiTife', 1903, Bull. Board Agr. Hawaii, I, 19. 



(2). Bruner and Swenk, 1907, Bull. Nebraska Agr. Sta., xcvi, 17, 

 f. 4. 



(3). Campion, 1905, Entom.. xxxvili, 281. 



(4). Marchal, 1900, B. S. E. France, 330. 



(5). Fieber, 1860, Eur. Hem., 159. 



(6). Eardley-Mason, 1889, Ent. Mo. Mag., xxv, 457. 



(7). Although none of the Homoptera is known to be predaceous, 

 Mr. Kershaw writes to me, "Did I tell you that whilst at Piroe [in 

 Ceram] sitting in a chair, a nymph of a small Fulgoroid settled on 

 my bare foot, and punctured it and began to suck? Muir saw it." 



