190 INTRODUCTION 
so forth, not only sucking nectar, but—being dusted with pollen below—serving also as 
active pollinators. No structural adaptations to flower-food have, however, been seen, 
unless the small size of Anthocoris can be so regarded. The elongated proboscis, 
fitted for sucking nectar from tubular flowers, is just as characteristic of the other— 
and more numerous—land-bugs which never visit flowers, and it cannot therefore 
be regarded as an anthophilous adaptation. No flower has been observed as 
specially adapted to pollination by bugs, though such might be a quite conceivable 
possibility. Nor is a single species of flower known for the pollination of which 
bugs are of special importance, and accordingly the structure of their proboscis need 
not be considered. 
Among the Neuroptera (net-winged insects), Panorpa communis has now and 
then been observed visiting flowers and sucking nectar. According to Miiller 
(‘ Fertilisation,’ p. 31) it is easy to satisfy oneself that it is really anthophilous, for it 
‘visits some flowers in which the nectar is somewhat deeply seated (e. g. Polygonum 
Bistorta, Eupatorium cannabinum, and so forth), plunging its long beak-shaped head 
into the various nectar receptacles. One might even be inclined to look upon the 
snout-like prolongation of the head as an adaptation to getting nectar from these flowers, 
were it not that the nearly related little wingless Boreus hiemalis, which never visits 
flowers, but lives in moss, possesses the same character, which may therefore be of 
different origin. Species of Hemerobius, Sialis, Ascalaphus, Perla, and others, are 
frequently met with upon the flowers of Umbelliferae. They bend their heads down 
to the fleshy disk-like nectaries and doubtless lick up their secretion. Small dragon- 
flies (Agrion) sometimes settle on flowers (Spiraea), but apparently only to sun 
themselves. 
Among Orthoptera only the earwig (Forficula auricularia and other species) 
has to be considered as a visitor of flowers (Papaver, Tropaeolum, Trollius, Cam- 
panula, Compositae, roses, pinks, peonies, and so: forth), into which it creeps during 
the day, and feeds upon the softer parts at night. 
Grasshoppers spring and fly about in quest of food on to various parts of plants, 
including the flowers. 
Our indigenous Orthoptera do not show any anthophilous adaptations. But 
Darwin states that several New Zealand grasshoppers were observed by Mr. Swale 
to pollinate papilionaceous flowers (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., London, ser. 3, ii, 1858, 
p- 461), but Hermann Miiller remarks (‘ Fertilisation, p. 30, note) that this seems 
very questionable and scarcely credible. 
In South Brazil Fritz Miiller observed: a cockroach very similar to Pseudomops 
laticornis Perty to be a diligent visitor of flowers, occurring frequently, e.g. on the 
garden composite Polymnia edulis, apparently to feed on the nectar. 
F. Stages of Adaptation in Insects which visit Flowers. 
Though members of all insect orders visit our indigenous flowers, there are 
very great differences between these orders in respect of the number of anthophilous 
species and individuals, and also as to the degree of anthophily. Their importance 
for pollination of flowers and the amount of correlated adaptation are therefore very 
far from being the same. 
