398 MODERN CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. 



furnished with six setose spines, arranged transversely, giving the 

 insect somewhat the appearance of certain Lepidopterous larvae ; when 

 full grown, a slit is formed down the back ; but the pupa state is as- 

 sumed without shedding off the outer envelope, thus approaching the 

 coarctate metamorphosis. (De Geer, Mem. tom. v. pi. 10. fig. 21 — 25., 

 my Jig. 49. 25.) Notwithstanding these peculiarities, the genus is 

 not admitted by the French entomologists. The larva of minute 

 species of Scymnus has been observed, and exhibited to me by M. V. 

 Audouin, to feed upon a small Phylloxera (one of the Aphidie), 

 which lives upon the oak : the larva is entirely clothed with a white 

 cottony secretion. I have also myself met with this larva ; and 

 Reaumur has described several apparently closely allied species of 

 larvae, which he terms ' les barbets blancs ' ( 3Iem. tom. iii. 11. pi. 31. 

 fig. 20—29., and my fig. 49. 26,).* 



Order EUPLEXOPTERA f Westioood. 

 (Dermaptera Leach ; nee De Geer, Retz. Labidoures, L. Dvfoitr.) 



Char. Anterior wings leathery, very small, without veins, uniting 

 in a straight suture, horizontal, partially covering the wings. 



Posterior wings large, with radiating nerves, and with numerous 

 transverse and longitudinal folds. 



Mouth with transversly movable jaws, the posterior pair being 

 galeated. 



Anus forcipated. 



Pupa semicomplete, active, resembling the imago, but with rudi- 

 mental wings. 



The well-known earwig (Forficula auricularia Linn.) is the type 

 of this order, in which the body is of a long, narrow, and flattened 



* Reaumur, in his account of the insects which attack the aphides, has described 

 the larva of a Coleopterous insect, which he names "I'herisson blanc," or "lebarhet 

 blanc," of small size, and remarkable for having the body clothed with small bundles 

 of oblong, white, cotton-like " touffes," and furnished with six legs. The beetle 

 produced from these larvae is of minute size, of a rounded form ; the elytra olive- 

 brown, with some brown spots. I have met with this larva, but have been unable 

 to rear it : it evidently, however, belongs to some species of the genus Scymnus. 



f BiBLioGR. Refer, to the Euplexoptera (Forficulidje]. 

 Unzer. Von einem Ohrwurme der seinem Unterleib aufgerissen. Samml. klein, 

 Schrift. No. 37. 



