NAUCORID.i:. 25 



Family NAUCORID^. 



Naucoridse, Fieb. Eur. Hem. p. 32 (1861) ; Stdl, En. Hem. v, p. 141 



(1876). 

 Aplielochira3, Fieh. Eur. Hem. p. 32 (1861), 



We have already {ante. vol. i, p. xxxvii) given the salient 

 characters of this family. The species are truly aquatic and swim 

 freely both in fresh and stagnant water. None of them appear 

 to carry their eggs on their back, a practice common to the 

 following family Belostomatidce. 



Synopsis of Subfamilies. 



A. Head more or less prominent and rounded 



in front of eyes, beneath ^^ith a profound 

 excavation in which is inserted the base of 

 rostrum. 



a. Pronotum anteriorly strongly concavely ex- 



cavate or sinuate, its posterior angles 



more or less acuminate CJieirocheUnce. 



B, Head broad, not prominently produced in 



front of eyes. 



b. Pronotum. anteriorly either not, or ob- 



tusely or prominently broadly sinuate, its 



posterior angles not acuminate. 

 a. Gula short, neither tumid nor tectiform . . Laccocorince. 

 h. Gula long, tumid or tectiform Naucorince. 



Subfamily I. CHEIROCHELIN.^. 



Cheiroclielinse, Montand. Ann. Mtis. Civ. &'e?i. xxxvii, p. 367 (1897). 



Head more or less prominent and rounded in front of the eyes, 

 beneath with a profound excavation in which is inserted the base 

 of the rostrum ; eyes longer than broad ; pronotum strongly con- 

 cavely sinuate at its anterior mai'gin between the region of the 

 eyes, the posterior lateral angles more or less acuminate ; the 

 anterior femora very strongly dilated. 



Synopsis of Genera. 



A. Pronotum with the lateral margins concavely 



narrowed anteriorly ; greatest breadth of 

 abdomen less than, or about equal to, its 

 length Cheirochela, p. 26. 



B. Pronotum with the lateral margins convexly 



narrowed anteriorly ; greatest breadth of 



abdomen considerably exceeding its length. . Oestroiklla, p. 27. 



