Hale — AyuATic Hemiptera 421 



observed to capture and feed upon fifth instar nymphs of Anisops. The first 

 nymphs of the season appear in early spring. 



A resident in the Mount Tjofty Ranges, who was recently stung as a result 

 of incautiously handling one of these bugs, remarked that the effect was some- 

 what similar to that of a bee sting. The poisonous nature of the tiny wound was 

 testified by the swollen condition of the punctured hand. 



Sub-Family Pleinae. 

 PLEA Leach. 



Pica Tjeach, Trans. Linn. Soc, xii, 1817, p. 11; Saund., Hem. Het. Brit. Is., 

 18i)2, p. 329; Kirk., Wien. ent. Zeit., xxiii, 1904, p. 126. 



Plan Stephens, Cat. Brit. Ins., ii, 1829, p. 354. 



Ploca Doug, and Scott, Cat. Brit. Hem., 1876, p. 61. 



Type, P. miniitissima Fabr. (=P. leachi M'Gregor and Kirkaldy).(*) 

 Form stout, size small. Eyes widely separated and rostrum three-jointed. 



Inner edges of elytra meeting at the median line of the body. 



PLEA BRUNNI Kirkaldy. 



Plea hrunni Kirk., Wien. ent. Zeit., xvii, 1898, p. 141, and xxiii, 1904, p. 128. 



Notoeephalon ochraceous, about twice as wide as an eye, closely punctate; 

 face usually with a dark castaneous, central, longitudinal line, which is some- 

 times widened and diffused, sometimes with a dot on each side near vertex, and 

 occasionally forked near vertex, forming a Y-shaped figure ; hinder margin of 

 head dark castaneous. Pronotum testaceous or ochraceous, often darkened near 

 humeral angles; 1-3 times wider than its length; coarsely, reticulately punctate, 

 l)ut witli a median, longitudinal portion very slightly raised, shining and not 

 punctate. Scutellum dark testaceous or ochraceous, distinctly punctured, hardly 

 lialf as long as the pronotum. Elytra of like colour, with brown, coarse, reticu- 

 late punctures. Wings well developed. Underside black ; legs ochraceous ; 

 anterior tarsi less than half as long as tibiae; intermediate tarsi about half as 

 long as tibiae; posterior tibiae 1-3 times longer than tarsi, the first joint of which 

 is longer than second ; posterior legs distinctly more ciliated than the others, with 

 the claws strong and almost three-fourths of the length of the second tarsal 

 segment. Length, 2 mm, to 2-4 mm.; width, 1 mm. to 14 mm. 



II ah. South Australia: Murray Bridge and Myponga Swamps (H. M. 

 Hale) ; Northern Territory: Port Darwin ; Queensland : Gladstone (A. M. Lea), 



(4) Trans. Perthshire Soc, 1899, p. 5. 



