﻿147 
  

  

  The 
  ova 
  are 
  very 
  similar 
  in 
  form 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  Myrmus, 
  

   "Kidney 
  bean 
  shaped/' 
  that 
  is, 
  oval 
  in 
  profile, 
  a 
  little 
  smaller 
  

   at 
  the 
  micropyle 
  end 
  than 
  at 
  the 
  other, 
  subconstricted 
  medially 
  

   above. 
  The 
  micropyle 
  end 
  is 
  obliquely 
  truncate, 
  one 
  micropyle 
  

   being 
  on 
  this 
  truncate 
  part, 
  the 
  other 
  on 
  the 
  concave 
  venter. 
  

   The 
  microples 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  Myrmus, 
  but 
  the 
  

   dorsoposterior 
  apparatus 
  in 
  Myrmus, 
  figured 
  by 
  Leuckart, 
  is 
  

   apparently 
  not 
  present 
  in 
  Rhopalus. 
  

  

  Colour 
  testaceous, 
  the 
  vermilion-sanguineous 
  embryo 
  

   showing 
  through 
  and 
  colouring 
  the 
  whole 
  egg, 
  (Micropyle 
  col- 
  

   ourless) 
  ; 
  when 
  nearly 
  ready 
  for 
  hatching 
  they 
  become 
  dark 
  

   crimson. 
  They 
  are 
  deposited 
  with 
  the 
  concave 
  part 
  downward, 
  

   mostly 
  on 
  the 
  involucres 
  of 
  the 
  Sonchus. 
  If 
  undisturbed, 
  the 
  

   average 
  number 
  is 
  20 
  to 
  25 
  in 
  each 
  batch, 
  but 
  the 
  same 
  female 
  

   lays 
  more 
  than 
  one 
  batch 
  and 
  recopulates 
  after 
  oviposition. 
  

   Lengtli 
  a 
  little 
  less 
  than 
  one 
  millimetre. 
  

  

  They 
  hatch 
  in 
  about 
  6-7 
  days 
  and 
  the 
  adult 
  state 
  is 
  reached 
  

   in 
  13-16 
  more. 
  

  

  The 
  nymphal 
  instars 
  are 
  remarkable 
  for 
  the 
  gradual 
  change 
  

   of 
  colour 
  from 
  blood-red 
  in 
  the 
  first, 
  to 
  greenish-testaceous 
  in 
  

   the 
  fifth. 
  

  

  First 
  instar. 
  The 
  colour 
  on 
  hatching 
  is 
  pale 
  sangineous, 
  

   the 
  head 
  and 
  nota 
  darken 
  in 
  a 
  little 
  while 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  bug 
  

   darkens 
  in 
  a 
  day 
  or 
  so. 
  The 
  bug 
  is 
  elongate, 
  oval 
  and 
  flexible, 
  

   two 
  and 
  four-fifths 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  maximum 
  width. 
  The 
  anten- 
  

   nae 
  are 
  inserted 
  on 
  a 
  line 
  from 
  the 
  eye 
  to 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  

   labrum 
  and 
  are 
  twice 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  head 
  in 
  profile, 
  their 
  

   respective 
  proportions 
  being 
  6, 
  10, 
  11, 
  19; 
  the 
  first 
  three 
  are 
  

   cylindric, 
  the 
  fourth 
  slightly 
  fusiform. 
  The 
  thorax 
  and 
  abdo- 
  

   men 
  together 
  are 
  3 
  2-3 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  head. 
  The 
  body 
  and 
  

   legs 
  are 
  furnished 
  sparsely 
  with 
  dark 
  bristly 
  hairs. 
  The 
  eyes 
  

   are 
  not 
  nearly 
  contiguous 
  with 
  the 
  pronotum. 
  The 
  labium 
  

   reaches 
  practically 
  to 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen, 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  

   beyond 
  the 
  middle, 
  its 
  proportions 
  being 
  12, 
  13, 
  12, 
  19. 
  Width 
  

   of 
  head 
  with 
  eyes 
  a 
  trifle 
  more 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  pronotum. 
  The 
  

   legs 
  are 
  articulated 
  almost 
  at 
  the 
  lateral 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  thorax 
  

   and 
  are 
  widely 
  distant. 
  The 
  second 
  segment 
  of 
  the 
  hind 
  tarsi 
  

   is 
  twice 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  first, 
  scarcely 
  so 
  much 
  in 
  the 
  fore 
  and 
  

   middle 
  pairs. 
  Arolia 
  free, 
  extending 
  to 
  about 
  half 
  the 
  length 
  

   of 
  the 
  claws, 
  of 
  which 
  there 
  are 
  two 
  on 
  each 
  tarsus, 
  acuminate 
  

   and 
  slightly 
  curved. 
  Odoriferous 
  orifices 
  very 
  small, 
  trans- 
  

   verse 
  oval, 
  situated 
  on 
  the 
  apical 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  fourth 
  and 
  fifth 
  

   tergites. 
  

  

  