SUCKING INSECTS. 173 



seriously damage young growing crops. The 

 mole-cricket, which is not uncommon, and 

 which may be recognised by its powerful, 

 Short, thick front legs by means of which 

 it burrows in the earth, attacks the plant both 

 at the roots and above ground and thus, at 

 times, causes much injury. To this group of 

 insects also belongs the cockroach, the damage 

 and annoyance caused by which is a matter of 

 common knowledge to all West Indians. 



SUCKING INSECTS. 



1. The foregoing insects cause injury to 

 plants by biting them. There are many in- 

 sects however, which do not bite, but which 

 are provided with a 'beak 1 or 'proboscis* which 

 they thrust into the tissues of the plants on 

 which they live and thus suck out the juices. 

 Some of these attack and feed upon other in- 

 sects and animals. 



2. The plant-bugs, which are very com- 

 mon on many crops, belong to this class. They 

 have four wings ; the upper ones are peculiar 

 in that they are not uniform in texture, the 

 part nearest the body being leathery, the re- 

 mainder membranous ; the under wings are 

 entirely membranous. These insects do not 

 pass through a caterpillar or grub stage. The 



