42 AMBUSH-BUGS. 
“The body extends laterally into angular or rounded pro- 
jections, suggesting the name of the typical genus (from phyma, 
a tumor). But the most striking character which distinguishes 
this group is the remarkable form of the front legs, which are 
fitted for siezing prey. The coxa is somewhat elongated; the 
femur is greatly thickened, so that it is half or two-thirds as 
broad as long; the tibia is sickle-shaped, and fits closely upon 
the broadened and curved end of the femur; both tibia and 
femur are armed with a series of closely set teeth, so that the 
unlucky insect that is grasped by this organ is firmly held be- 
tween two saws (see Fig. 6); the apparently useless tarsus is 
bent back into a groove in the tibia. Another striking char- 
acter is presented by the antennz, in which the terminal seg- 
Fic. 34.—Phymata erosaH.Schf.: a,dorsal view (enlarged); b, side view (enlarged) 
c, front leg (enlarged); d, beak (enlarged). After Riley, Div. of Entomology, 
Dep. of Agriculture. 
ment is more or less enlarged into a knob. Under the lateral 
margin of the pronotum there is on each side a groove into 
which the antenna fits.” (Comstock). 
Phymata erosa H. Schf. and P. wolf Stal. are common 
species; the former is illustrated in Fig. 34. It is a greenish- 
yellow insect, marked with a broad black band across the ex- 
panded part of the abdomen. The female is larger than the 
male, measuring about four-tenths of an inch in length. The 
insect is rather broadly notched at the tip; the ends on each 
side are turned up a little, and are long and triangular, but not 
acute. When an insect approaches its lurking place it sud- 
denly makes a stroke with the front tibiz, draws the insect to 
its beak, and there leisurely sucks the juice. It is remarkable 
what large insects it captures: Cabbage-butterflies, honey-bees, 
and even large wasps are caught and killed. 
