360 ORDERS OF PTILOTA. 



These insects are of exceedingly minute size, few exceeding a 

 line (one-twelfth of an inch) in length ; they are very active, 

 seeming to leap rather than fly when disturhed. At such times, 

 also, they elevate the posterior extremity of the body like a 

 Stophylinus, giving it various movements. They are found upon 

 flowers and plants, and under the bark of trees. The different spe- 

 cies of this genus are well known to gardeners, from their attacks 

 upon different trees, cucumbers, &c., their punctures upon the 

 leaves giving them a dead appearance, curling them up, at the 

 sides, and appearing as soon as the least verdvu-e is seen, at 

 which time they are in the larva state, although some are perfect. 

 The larvae are long and of a faint yellow, and when fully grown 

 are nearly the size which they attain in the v»inged state. For 

 some time after the insect has attained the winged state, it retains 

 nearly its original colour, but afterwards turns nearly black. They 

 especially infest melons, cucumbers, vines, kidney-beans, &c., par- 

 ticularly attacking the blossoms ; the marks which they produce 

 being in patches, and deeply scalloped. They also attack the young 

 leaves of peaches and nectarines as soon as they appear in the 

 spring, which causes them to shrink up, and they also prey upon 

 the bloom before it expands. They feed in the interior or fructi- 

 fication part, which weakens it materially, and causes the blossom- 

 bud to fall off before it is formed into fruit. — Major on the Insects 

 injurious to Fruit Trees. 



The student must consult Mr. Haliday's Memoirs upon these 

 insects, published in the Entomological Magazine, where numerous 

 species are described. 



ORDER V. — HEMIPTERA. 



This order is characterized by the jointed, sucker-shaped 

 mouth, the ivings membranous, covered by wing-covers, either 

 entirely membranous and deflexed, or partly coriaceous and 

 partly membranous and horizontal, and the tarsi fiever com- 

 posed of more than three joints. The mouth is composed of 

 a fleshy articulated canal, terminating in a point inclosing 

 several fine bristles, which are employed as lancets in wound- 

 ing the substances upon which the insects feed ; it is also 

 furnished externally at the base with a small conical i)iece 

 transversely striated, which represents the upper lip of the 

 other orders. When unemployed, this proboscis is laid 



