

CH. Ill] THE COCKROACH 93 



The Cursorial forms have the hind-legs adapted for 

 running, and the wing cases (fore-wings), when present 

 in the immature stages, lie flat. We have two British 

 Cursorial families the Earwigs (Forficularia) and the 

 Cockroaches (Blattodea). The Earwigs have their flight- 

 wings folded when at rest not only fanwise but also 

 transversely in a complicated manner; the cerci at the 

 hinder end of the body are converted into nippers and the 

 tarsi of the legs have but three joints. The Cockroaches on 

 the other hand have the wings folded only fanwise, the 

 cerci are jointed and not modified into nippers, and the 

 tarsi have six joints. 



Eight species of earwigs have been recorded in England, but 

 only two of these are at all common, viz. Labia minor and 

 Forficula auricularia ; of these the former is small, about 5 mm. 

 long, and has the second joint of the tarsi cylindrical. It may 

 often be taken on the wing on summer evenings flying over 

 flowers. The latter, the common earwig, is 10 15 mm. long, 

 and has the second joint of the tarsi lobed : it is distinguishable 

 from Forficula pubescens, which has occurred in many places in 

 England, but cannot be called common, by possessing perfect 

 wings and 15 joints in the antennae, whereas F. pubescens has 

 abortive wings and only 12 joints in the antennas. Other 

 species which may possibly be met with near the coast and 

 especially among the shingle are Labidura riparia, of a pale 

 red colour, with well-developed wings and 27 30 joints in the 

 antennae ; Anisolabis maritima, of dark brown colour without 

 wings, and with 24 joints in the antennae ; and A. annulipes, 

 black in colour, devoid of wings, antennae with 16 joints only, 

 and yellow at the base, then black, the 13th and 14th joints 

 pale, 15th and 16th dark ; the legs also have dark rings round 

 them. The two remaining species are Apterygida albipennis 

 and A. arachidis. They are probably not truly indigenous and 

 have only been found very rarely. The genus can be dis- 

 tinguished by the nippers of the male being separated at the 

 base and not flattened. 



