﻿THE 
  INSECTS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  JERSEY. 
  167 
  

  

  Family 
  NERTHRID^. 
  

  

  The 
  Galgulidae 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  edition. 
  They 
  are 
  broad, 
  squat, 
  with 
  

   prominent 
  eyes, 
  often 
  called 
  "toad-bugs," 
  because 
  of 
  a 
  fancied 
  resemblance 
  

   to 
  that 
  animal. 
  They 
  are 
  predatory, 
  live 
  in 
  marshes 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  muddy 
  

   banks 
  of 
  streams 
  and, 
  while 
  not 
  rare, 
  are 
  of 
  no 
  economic 
  importance. 
  

  

  GELASTOCORIS 
  Kirk. 
  (GALGULUS 
  Auct.) 
  

  

  G. 
  oculatus 
  Fab. 
  Recorded 
  from 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  New 
  Jersey, 
  but 
  all 
  ex- 
  

   amined 
  specimens 
  are 
  of 
  an 
  undescribed 
  form 
  (Bno). 
  

  

  G. 
  n. 
  sp. 
  Bno. 
  Staten 
  Island 
  VII 
  (Ds) 
  ; 
  Lakehurst 
  IX, 
  15 
  (Eng) 
  ; 
  Tren- 
  

   ton 
  VIII, 
  12, 
  Anglesea 
  V, 
  30 
  (Coll), 
  and 
  probably 
  also 
  the 
  Caldwell, 
  

   Riverton 
  and 
  Westville 
  records 
  of 
  last 
  edition. 
  

  

  Family 
  NAUCORID^. 
  

  

  Resemble 
  the 
  Nerthridse 
  in 
  outline, 
  but 
  without 
  the 
  projecting 
  eyes. 
  

   They 
  are 
  predatory, 
  the 
  fore-legs 
  are 
  developed 
  for 
  grasping, 
  and 
  they 
  

   live 
  in 
  water, 
  crawling 
  about 
  among 
  the 
  plants. 
  We 
  have 
  only 
  a 
  single 
  

   species. 
  

  

  PELOCORIS 
  Stal. 
  

  

  P. 
  femoratus 
  Pal. 
  Beauv. 
  Cranford 
  VIII, 
  27 
  (Bno) 
  ; 
  Staten 
  Island 
  III, 
  V, 
  

   VIII, 
  X, 
  Jamesburg 
  IX 
  (Ds) 
  ; 
  Trenton 
  VI, 
  X, 
  Delair 
  IX, 
  1 
  (Coll); 
  

   Riverton 
  V, 
  VIII 
  (Jn) 
  ; 
  Camden 
  IV, 
  17 
  (Ss). 
  

  

  Family 
  BELOSTOMATID^. 
  

  

  This 
  family 
  contains 
  the 
  "giant 
  water 
  bugs," 
  oval, 
  flattened 
  creatures, 
  

   with 
  keel-like 
  bodies 
  beneath, 
  short 
  powerful 
  beak, 
  large 
  fore-legs 
  fitted 
  

   for 
  grasping, 
  and 
  long 
  broad 
  hind-legs 
  fitted 
  for 
  swimming. 
  At 
  the 
  anal 
  

   extremity 
  is 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  short 
  protrusible, 
  strap-like 
  appendages 
  used 
  for 
  

   respiration. 
  

  

  They 
  are 
  predatory, 
  feeding 
  on 
  all 
  sorts 
  of 
  aquatic 
  insects, 
  tadpoles, 
  

   and 
  even 
  fish, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  becoming 
  two 
  inches 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  

   length. 
  At 
  the 
  mating 
  season 
  they 
  fly 
  from 
  pond 
  to 
  pond 
  at 
  night, 
  and 
  

   at 
  this 
  time 
  they 
  are 
  often 
  attracted 
  to 
  electric 
  lights 
  in 
  great 
  numbers. 
  

   This 
  has 
  given 
  them 
  the 
  common 
  name 
  "electric 
  light 
  bugs," 
  and 
  their 
  

   uncouth 
  shape 
  and 
  sprawly 
  motions 
  make 
  them 
  objects 
  of 
  terror. 
  As 
  a 
  

   matter 
  of 
  fact, 
  they 
  are 
  quite 
  harmless 
  when 
  carefully 
  handled; 
  but 
  they 
  

   are 
  very 
  strong, 
  and 
  in 
  their 
  struggles 
  to 
  get 
  away 
  will 
  make 
  use 
  of 
  their 
  

   powerful 
  legs. 
  When 
  they 
  get 
  a 
  good 
  chance 
  they 
  use 
  their 
  beak 
  as 
  

   well, 
  and 
  their 
  puncture 
  is 
  extremely 
  painful 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  time. 
  It 
  does 
  

   not, 
  however, 
  produce 
  any 
  swelling 
  or 
  other 
  ill 
  effect. 
  

  

  