52 EN TOMCLOGY 
dragon flies form a basket for catching the prey on the wing. 
Modifications of the front legs for the purpose of grasping 
occur in many insects, as the terrestrial families Mantide (C) 
and Reduviide and the aquatic families Belostomide and 
Naucoride (D). Swim- 
Fic. 61. 
ming species present special 
adaptations of the legs (Fig. 
Se es : ; 
228), as described in the 
—— chapter on aquatic insects. 
. In digging insects, the fore 
a 
legs are expanded to form 
shovel-like organs, notably 
Left hind leg of Bittacus. c, coxa in the mole-cricket (Fig. 62, 
oe re ney) aint By, an which the foreabe 
has some resemblance to the 
human hand, while the tarsus and tibia are remarkably adapted 
for cutting roots, after the manner of shears. The Scara- 
beeidcze have fossorial legs, the anterior tarsi of which are in 
some genera reduced (/*) or absent; they are rudimentary in 
the female (G) of Phaneus carnifex and absent in the male 
(H), and absent in both sexes of Deltochilum. ‘Though 
females of Phaneus lose their front tarsi by digging, the de- 
generate condition of these organs cannot be attributed to the 
inheritance of a mutilation, but may have been brought about 
by disuse; though no one has explained why the two sexes 
should differ in this respect. Many insects use the legs to 
clean the antennze, head, mouth parts, wings or legs; the honey 
bee (with other bees, also ants, Carabidz, etc.) has a special 
antenna-cleaner on the front legs (Fig. 263, D), which is 
described, with other interesting modifications of the legs, on 
page 271. 
Indeed, the legs serve many such minor purposes in addi- 
tion to locomotion. They are generally used to hold the 
female during coition, and in several genera of Dytiscidee 
(Dytiscus, Cybister) the male (Fig. 62, /) has tarsal disks and 
cupules, chiefly on the front tarsi, for this purpose. Among 
