FAMILY II.— COCKROACHES. 



91 



the day. These insects feed on almost everything, but seem 

 to prefer wheat bread; they also delight to "sleep and 

 board" among crackers, and these suffer severely during a 

 long trip on board of a vessel. Libraries are often crowded 

 with these insects, which find good shelters among the 

 books, and here they cause sometimes much damage by 

 gnawing the bindings of books bound in cloth. As most 

 people living in houses frequented by these insects know 

 them thoroughh' well it is not necessary to give their life 

 historj^ in detail. This insect is much more active and wary 

 than the larger kinds, and on that account more difficult to 

 eradicate. 



The insect illustrated in all stages in Fig. 53, measures 

 from 11 to 13 mm. in length. 



' mW^i (Mm 



Fig. 53.— Blatta ^ermanica; a, first stage; b, second stage; c, third stage; 

 c/, fourth stage; e, adult; /; adult female with egg-case ; ^, egg-case enlarged ; li, 

 adult with wings spread. All natural size except^. From "ilousehold Insects," 

 published by U. S. States Div. of Entomology. 



GENUS Perjplaneta Burmeister. 



Last abdominal sternum of the female divided; sub-anal 

 styles of the males well developed. Antennas slim and taper- 

 ing, longer than the bod\\ Legs long and very spin^^ 



Wing-covers and wnngs extending beyond the end of the 

 abdomen in both sexes americana. 



Wing-covers and wnngs not reaching to the end of the 

 abdomen in the males, rudimentarA- in the fem ales.. one72ta7iS. 



