34 BELOSTOMATID^. 



Family BELOSTOMATID^. 



Belostomides, Duf. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1863, p. 374. 

 Belostomiden, Mayr, Verh. z.-b. Ges. Wien, xiii, p. 339 (1863); id, 



torn. cit. xxi, p. 399 (1871). 

 Belostomatida, Stal, Hem. Afr. iii, p. 178 (1865). 



Body more or less depressed; head, in front of e_yes triangularly 

 or conically produced ; rostrum short, three-jointed ; abdominal 

 appendages short ; legs natatorial, the anterior legs raptorial, the 

 anterior coxse inserted, in the anterior area of the prosternum. 



These water-bugs have long been known from the peculiar 

 sexual characteristic of cariyiug their eggs in a cemented form on 

 their back, or upper surface. This was till recently supposed to 

 be a female habit, and it had been authoritatively asserted that 

 she placed them on her back by the aid of her ovipositor. This 

 has now been experimentally disproved by Miss F. W. Slater 

 (' American Naturalist '), and the male is the egg carrier, the eggs 

 beiug apparently forcibly attached to him by the feuiale (abstract, 

 ' Zoologist,' 1900, p. 93). 



Synopsis of Genera. 



A Posterior tibiae aud tarsi not promiuently 

 compressed. 



a. Head moderately conically produced aud 



tumid above ; membrane well developed . Nectocoris, p. 34. 



b. Head subtriangularly but not eouically pro- 



duced ; membrane somewhat small .... Sph^rodema, p. 36. 

 B. Posterior tibias and tarsi prominently am- 



pliately compressed Belostoma, p. 37. 



Genus NECTOCORIS. 



Nectocoris, Mai/r, Verh. z.-b. Ges. Wien, xxi, p. 432 (1871). 



Type, iV. stedi, Mayr. 



Distribution. As at present known — Oriental, 



Body small, depressed, elougately subovate ; head moderately 

 conically produced in front of eyes, centrally tumid, profoundly 

 sulcate at inner margins of eyes ; rostrum with the second joint 

 longest ; pronotum with the lateral margins straight, a little ampli- 

 ated, the posterior margin truncate, anterior margin moderately 

 sinuate before base of head : scutellum subequilateral ; hemelytra 

 with the outer areas moderately convexly ampliate, membrane 

 complete, longitudinally veiued ; anterior tarsi with two claws. 



