EXTERNAL ANATOMY. 



()5 



eleventh tergiim. and more of the surface of the podical plate 

 is visible than in the male, and the large genital chamber be- 

 tween the podical plates above and the sub-genital plate 

 below is entirely occupied by the ovipositor. 



The ovipositor (ovp), is composed of six movable pieces, 

 three on each side of the median line; a large superior or 

 dorsal piece, an equally large inferior or ventral piece, and a 

 short internal portion betv^een the bases of the superior and 

 inferior pieces. In a surface view the internal portions are 

 hidden by the two superior and two inferior pieces, which 

 are so arranged as to form a long sheath around the internal 

 portions which form the true ovipositor. Each of the four 

 pieces of the sheath is pointed posteriorly, and when the 

 pieces are folded together the four tips are in contact. Run- 

 ning forward from the tip is a flattened, slightly concave 

 surface, which in the superior pieces faces backwards and up- 

 wards, and in the inferior pieces, backwards and down- 

 wards. During oviposition the four pieces are brought 

 together and their tips forced into the ground. Thej^ are 

 then separated, and their flattened surfaces force the earth 

 awa^^ on all sides, making a pit into which the internal 

 pieces then guide the egg. Fig. 39, D, shows the egg-guide 

 at i. 



Showing wings or part of wings of various species oi CEdipodiaae. 



