364 LOOLOGY 
other insects, though they occasionally attack other animals. 
Several species, as Opsicoetus (Reduvius) personatus, attack the 
bed-bug. 
Family TinciTmDaE.—The members of this family are for 
the most part small; they are found in considerable numbers 
on leaves and shrubs; their appearance is very characteristic. 
The anterior wings have the appearance of a network, and 
processes resembling them project from the sides of the thorax. 
The proboscis and antennae each have four joints. 
Family ACANTHIIDAE.— The family includes Acanthia 
lectularia, the bed-bug, a flat oval insect devoid of wings. The 
proboscis has three joints, the antennae four. It is very ten- 
acious of life. Many species of the same genus live upon 
birds. 
Family CapsipAE—A very numerous family, whose mem- 
bers are active both in running and flying. They are mostly 
of a medium size, oval in outline, and convex. Their body is 
usually soft. Many of them are frequently found in fruit. 
Family PENTATOMIDAE.—In this family the scutellum is 
very large, often equalling in size the area of the abdomen. 
It is a large family, the members of which are brightly coloured. 
They are often found on shrubs, and live on caterpillars or 
leaves. 
Sub-order 2. Homoptera. 
CHARACTERISTICS.— Both pairs of wings alike ; when at rest they 
lie flat, unfolded, overlapping one another. The wings are 
often absent. The head is usually continuous with the pro- 
thorax, so that there is no neck. 
This group contains a number of species very diverse in 
their structure, and often with extremely complicated - life- 
histories, in which parthenogenesis and “alternation of genera- 
tions” play a great part. 
Family CrcapIpAk (Cicadas).—These insects are well known 
from the chirping noise they keep up. They are usually of 
large size, with an extraordinarily broad head fused on to the 
prothorax, with two large eyes at the angles, and three ocelli. 
The anterior wings are larger than the posterior. The male is 
provided with a kind of drum on the under side of the base of 
