FORFICULARI^E. 



577 



of this country and Europe have been referred to the genus 

 Blattina, Mr. Scudder describes, in the "Palaeontology of Illi- 

 nois," a form under the name of Mylacris anthracophila (Fig. 

 570, upper wing; Fig. 571, 

 prothorax) which was found in 

 the lower part of the true coal 

 measures at Morris, Illinois. 



FORFICULARI^E Latreille. 

 The Earwigs are very unlike 

 other Orthoptera, and are 

 readily distinguished by their narrow flattened bodies, with 

 short wing-covers, like the Staphylinidaz among beetles, on 

 which account Linnaeus placed them among the Coleoptera. 

 The head is free, flat, horizontal ; the ocelli are wanting, and 

 the eyes round ; the antennae arise from under the eyes, and are 

 filiform and twelve to forty-jointed. The elytra are short and 

 thick, while the rounded, broad, hind wings are folded under- 

 neath so as to be almost entirely concealed by the anterior pair. 

 The female genital armature is described by Lacaze-Duthiers 

 as composed of a subgenital plate formed by the eighth ster- 

 nite, while the eighth and ninth abdominal rings 

 are partly aborted, and only represented by two 

 horny arcs closely soldered to the tergite of the 

 tenth ring. The rhabdites of the eleventh ring are 

 greatly developed, forming the immense forceps, 

 which are often as long as the whole body. This family was 

 ranked as a separate order by Leach and Kirby, under the name 

 of Dermaptem, and were called Euplexoptera by Westwood. 



They are nocturnal insects, hiding in the day time between 

 leaves and in flowers, flying about at dark. They feed on the 

 corollas of flowers and on fruit, and will eat bread and meat. 

 They are rare insects in this country, though troublesome in 

 Europe from their great numbers. An Alpine species lives 

 under stones in Europe. In Forficula the antennae are fifteen- 

 jointed. Spongophora bipunctata Scudder has two pale spots 

 on the elytra. In Labia the antennae are less than twelve- 

 jointed. Labia minuta Scudder is yellowish brown, with the 

 sides of the abdomen and the head reddish brown. 

 37 



Fig. 571. 



