CLASSIFICATION I I 



pair membranous, ample, closely reticulate, plicate along the 

 numerous radiating principal veins. Abdomen with' ten or 

 eleven segments. Eight families: Forficulidae, Hemimeridae 

 (Fig. 13), Blattidae, Mantidae, Phasmidae (Fig. 240), Acri- 

 diidae (Fig. 14), Locustidae, Gryllidae. Over ten thousand 

 species are known. 



Some authors prefer to separate Forficulidae from Orthop- 

 tera as a distinct order, for which Brauer and Packard pre- 

 serve the old term Dermaptera of Leach, while Comstock uses 

 Westwood's term Euplexoptera. 



Hemimeridae consist at present of two African species 

 whose affinities appear to lie with Forficulidae, but deserve 

 further study. 



4. Platyptera. Metamorphosis direct. Mouth parts man- 

 dibulate. Wings, if present, two pairs, delicate, membranous, 

 equal or hind pair smaller, and with the principal veins few 

 and simple. Integument usually thin. Nymphs thysanuri- 

 form. Two suborders. 



Suborder Corrodentia. Including three families, as fol- 

 lows : 



Termitida. Eyes facetted. Antennae 9-31 jointed. 

 Mouth parts prognathous or hypognathous. 1 Prothorax 

 large. Wings elongate, alike, membranous, delicate, with 

 indefinite reticulation and with a characteristic basal suture. 

 Abdomen elongate, with ten segments and a pair of short, 

 two-jointed anal cerci. Integument delicate. Social in habit. 

 Example, Termes (Fig. 273). Over one hundred species are 

 known. 



Comstock places Termitidae in an order by themselves, 

 I so pt era. 



Embiidce. Eyes facetted. Antennae 15-32 jointed. 

 Mouth parts prognathous. Thorax elongate, prothorax re- 

 duced. Wings (sometimes absent) elongate, membranous, 

 delicate, with few and feebly developed longitudinal and cross 

 veins. Abdomen elongate, with ten or possibly eleven seg- 



1 Prognathous, directed forward ; hypognathous, directed downward. 



