Metamorphoses of Hemiptera-Heteroptera from S. China. 61 



Biptortus linearis (Linne). 



This species is widely distributed from India to China 

 via Burma, and from Ceylon through the Indo-Malayan 

 Archipelago. It has been figured only in Herrich- 

 SchafFer's " Wanzenartigen Insekten " (vol. viii, fig. 867), 

 a rare work. 



Ri])tort'US linearis is apparently entirely vegetarian, feed- 

 ing on the seed-pods of various Leguminosm, etc., princi- 

 pally Cassia occidentalis, Linne, Desmodiiim pulchelhom, 

 Benth., and Pueraria phaseoloides, Benth. 



The ova are deposited irregularly on the stems and 

 leaves, and are cauldron-shaped, dark bronzy-brown, 

 sometimes slightly dusted with a whitish waxy substance 

 (like that on most Hesperid pupse). There is no special 

 cap. On September 30th, 1907, eleven ova were laid 

 (PI. V, fig. 1), which hatched on October 6th. The newly- 

 hatched nymphs are shiny reddish-yellow-brown ; legs 

 and antennas semi-transparent, pale yellow-brown, and are 

 very like small red ants (fig. 6). The first moult occurred 

 on October 8th, with very little change, but the nymphs 

 are now larger and darker. 



The second moult took place on the 13th, and the 

 nymphs are now very dark, but with little change except 

 in size and colour (figs. 2 and 3). 



The third moult was on the 18th, the general hue being 

 dark grey-brown, the tegminal pads quite large, but not 

 noticeable unless examined closely (fig. 4). The adults 

 hatched out on October 23rd (fig. 5). 



For some minutes after each moult the entire bug is 

 pinkish or pale red. In each instar the first segment of 

 the tarsi and the antennal articulations are pale. The 

 dorsal odoriferous fi.aps are very conspicuous in the 

 nymphs. 



The last moult is soon accomplished, the adult (as it 

 rids itself of the nymphal skin) being pale yellowish-pink, 

 the wing veins darker pink. The apices of the tegmina 

 are at first slightly crumpled and rather shorter than the 

 apex of the abdomen, but are smooth and flush within 

 fifteen minutes. Within an hour of the ecdysis the 

 natural colouring is complete, chiefly bronzy-brown. The 

 bug apparently sometimes has an extra nymphal instar. 



Throughout the nymphal instars the bug is exceedingly 

 like an ant, the later ones closely resembling one of the 



