Vol. XXviii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 2gg 



be considered a true molt. There are no perceptible differ- 

 ences between this nymph and the next, either as to size or 

 structure, except the possible 3-jointed antennae noted. I am 

 inclined to consider it akin to the subimago molt of the may- 

 flies, rather than as a true ecdysis. This amnion, for want of 

 a better term, resembles that covering certain Orthoptera, ex- 

 cept that it is a complete pellicle. If it is a true molt margina- 

 His has six. It may well be that this initial molt has gone 

 unnoticed in the other Heteroptera, owing to the very diaph- 

 anous skin being blown away as soon as cast, and, in water, be- 

 ing unseen through its transparency and quickly destroyed by 

 the mechanical action of the element. 



First Instar. On emerging the nymph is about I mm. long, pointed 

 oval in shape. The cylindrical antennae are 2/3 the length of the body, 

 the first joint as long as 2 and 3 together, and 4 as long as the other 

 three. The head is translucent honey-yellow, quite wide between the 

 eyes, which are small, prominent, round and black. The rest of the in- 

 sect, including the legs, which are rather thick in proportion to the 

 size, is translucent white. There is a broad black stripe down the 

 middle which crosses a similar stripe on the thorax and ends in a point 

 at its cephalic margin. The abdominal segments are variously marked 

 by the same black bands around the abdomen at the connexivum. The 

 dorsum only is described, as it was taken from a living specimen. 



The tibia of the anterior pair of legs is longer than the femur and of 

 the second pair as well, but in the third pair, the femur is longer. The 

 anterior tarsus is short and stout and the two other slender and long; 

 all are single-jointed, with subapical claws. All the tibiae have combs. 

 The rostrum is 4-jointed, stout, joints i and 2 subequal, shortest, 3 

 longest, 4 longer than either i or 2, tapering; no tactile hairs were 

 noted at the tip. The legs are set very far back, which means that the 

 abdomen is very short, the abdominal segments being narrow. The 

 thorax is about 4 to 5 times as long. 



In molting the vertex and front lift off like a lid hinged at the cly- 

 peus, and the thorax splits straight down the middle. The lancets are 

 cast with rostrum, and there are no signs of tracheae in the cast skins. 



The second true molt takes place in 3 to 5 days. 



Second Instar. The antennae in this instar have joint 4 shorter than 

 the other three together, 2 and 3 being subequal, and i twice as long 

 as either. The first pair of legs continues the shortest, the second is 

 the longest; the middle femur and tibia are subequal, in the other two, 

 the tibia is longer than the femur. The thorax is two and a half times 



