FAMILY II.-COCKROACIIES. 87 



of the abdomen, yellowish-brown ; the last segment of the 

 abdomen and the forceps, reddish- brown. Legs and last two 

 joints of the antennas honey-yellow. The entire surface of 

 the body is covered with fine and short hairs. The illustra- 

 tion, (Fig. 30), shows this insect greatly enlarged ; the nat- 

 ural size is also given. 



The only spe':imens collected in Minnesota were attracted 

 to light, but as most of our w^indows are fitted with wire 

 screens to exclude insects, earwigs may be more common 

 than they appear to be. While tenting in July large num- 

 bers of this species were seen, attracted to the camp-fires, 

 but none were secured at the time. 



FAMILY IL 



COCKROACHES. 



(Blattidce*). 



These well-known insects possess an oval and usually 

 verj' much depressed body, with the nearly horizontal head 

 almost entirely withdrawn below the shield-like pronotum; 

 the head is bent down in such a manner that the powerful 

 mouth -parts, with their strong and biting jaws, project 

 backw^ards between the bases of the first pair of legs. Be- 

 sides the large eyes there are usually two rudimentary ocelli. 

 The antennae are very long and slender, often having up- 

 wards of hundred joints; the legs are long, armed with 

 numerous bristles. 



Cockroaches are by no means uncommon in our state, 

 and some species, which are frequently called "Croton 

 bugs" and "Black beetles," are well known household pests. 

 Other species are found under rubbish, loose bark, about 

 ant-hills, and, though common, are not often seen, as all 

 cockroaches are more or less nocturnal insects. Some of 

 the native species are attracted to light, others to sweetish 

 fluids left out of doors. Cockroaches are general feeders, and 

 the domestic species injure all kinds of provisions ; they also 



•Blatta, a cockroach. 



