On the Wings of the Hemiptera. 95 



XIV. On the Wings of the Hemiptera. By R. J. Ashton, 

 Esq. F. L. S., ^c. 



[Read 6th November, 1837.] 



At a meeting of this Society, some months ago, I exhibited an 

 insect (Centrotus cornutus) as affording an instance of the con- 

 nection of the anterior and posterior wings during flight, in an 

 order (^Hemiptera) in which I believed it was not known to exist. 

 I was not, at that tivne, aware of the fact which I have since 

 ascertained, viz. that the possession of a connecting apparatus 

 in the wings is not peculiar to the insect adduced, but is common 

 (I believe without exception) to the whole order of Hemiptera, 

 or to the allied orders of Hemiptera and Homoptera, of some ento- 

 mologists. This has struck me as involving a somewhat curious 

 circumstance, inasmuch as one of the orders of insects is founded 

 principally on this character, and derives its name (Hymenoptera) 

 (see Note 1) therefrom ; it is not a little strange, therefore, that 

 its occurrence througliout another order should not have been 

 long ago noticed, as it renders the name Hymenoptera inappro- 

 priate as the designation of the order so named. 



The existence of a peculiar uniting apparatus in some of the 

 nocturnal Lepidoptera is indeed an old observation, but there it is 

 not an universal, nor indeed an usual character, being found in 

 very few instances. 



As I believe that the structure by which this union of the 

 wings is effected in the Hemiptera has never been described, I 

 may perhaps be excused for offering a description of it. 



I have discovered two distinct organizations whereby the wings 

 are united in the majority of instances, and I conceive that what- 

 ever variations may exist in the structure in particular insects 

 from tlie types I am about to describe, are merely modifications 

 of one or the other of these forms. 



In Notonecta Glaiica there is found, at the hinder margin of 

 the under side of the anterior wing, two small corneous projec- 

 tions, curved and inclined at the top towards each other, leaving 

 merely a small slit or opening between them above, and forming 

 together a short cylindrical groove or socket parallel to the hinder 

 edge of the wing. (See Plate VII. fig. 5 a, b.) At the point which 

 answers to this in the posterior wing (fig. 6 z), the membrane at 

 the anterior margin is turned up and slightly backwards, and the 

 edge is thickened so as to form a prominent and moderately 



