126 IIEMIPTERA. 



PENTATOMID.E. 



The members of this family have a large sciitellum. 

 The soldier-bug, Podisus spinosiis (Fig. 73, <5), has a 

 sucking- tube (rt;) used for piercing animals and plants. 

 It devours the potato-beetle and currant-worm. 



Fig- 74- 

 SCUTELLERID.^1. 



The scutellum in this family is remarkably devel- 

 oped (see Fig. 74) ; it has, in fact, grown out and 

 covered the wings and abdomen. In the drawing the 

 wings {t.v\ 7£f") have been drawn to one side. This 

 extraordinary scutellum is sometimes mistaken by the 

 superficial observer for the wing-covers of a beetle."^ 

 It will be observed, however, that it is the homologue 

 of the undivided but small scutellum of the beetle, 

 and like that it has no central, longitudinal suture. 



The following examples cannot be considered as 

 complete parasites, but they are nevertheless degraded 

 forms, and their habits and structures present transi- 

 tions to true parasites like the lice. They do not lay 

 their eggs upon or in the bodies of other animals, but 

 they visit them for the purpose of obtaining food by 

 their own efforts. The effect of this intermediate 



