HEMIPTEKA. 41 



LESSON III. 



ORDER OF HEMIP'TERA. Organization Division Bed-bug 



Locvst Plant-lice Cochineal Insect. 

 ORDER OF NEUROP'TERA. Dragon-flies Ephemera White 



Ants. 

 ORDER OF LEPIDOP'TERA. Division Butterflies Sphinx 



Bombyx Silk-worm Tinea. 



ORDER OF HEMIP'TERA. 



1. Insects of the order of Hemip'tera (from the Greek, Vmisws, 

 half, and pteron, wing) may be distinguished at first sight from 

 the two preceding orders, by the conformation of the mouth, 

 which, instead of being adapted to masticate food, is in the form 

 of a long sucker resembling a tube. They have four wings; the 

 two first are in general half coriaceous and half membranous, 

 from which circumstance the order derives its name (figs. 36 

 and 37). 



2. In general the tegumentary covering of the Hemip'terse is 

 crustaceous ; sometimes, besides the compound eyes which exist 

 in all insects, we find simple eyes or ocelli ; the elytra are some- 

 times one-half crustaceous or coriaceous, and half membranous, 

 and at other times entirely membranous ; sometimes they, as 

 well as the wings, are wanting. The metamorphosis of the 

 Hemip'terse is generally incomplete, and consists only in the 

 development of wings and the growth of other parts of the body. 

 The organization of the mouth makes these insects necessarily 

 suckers ; it is composed of a sheath formed by the labium or 

 lower lip, and contains two pairs of filaments. 



3. This order is divided into two sections ; namely, 



1st. The HETEROP'TERJE (from the Greek, 'eteros, various, and 

 pteron, wing), in which the elytra are hard and thick at the 

 base, and membranous at the extremity (jig. 36). 



2d. The HOMOP'TER^E (from the Greek, 0/7105, the same, and 

 pteron, wing), in which the elytra or first pair of wings are of 

 the same consistence throughout (Jigs- 37 and 39). 



4. The Heterop'terse have a large and frequently triangulai 



1. How is the order of Hemip'tera distinguished ? 



2. What is the character of the teguments of Hemip'terans ? What it 

 the nature of their metamorphosis ? 



3. How is the order of Hemip'tera divided ? 



4. How is the section of Heterop'terai characterized ? 



