10 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



cases the head is set into this first segment and there is never a! dis- 

 tinct neck between them. 



This series branched early in two main divisions, one of them 

 adapted to living on land, the other living in or under water. 



The Plecoptera or plaited winged forms, known as stone flies, have 

 the wings net-veined, and the hind wings are folded or plaited 

 beneath the fore wings when they are at rest. The larvae live under 

 stones in water, breathing by means of gill tufts, and they are not in 

 any way important to the agriculturist. Their transformations are 

 incomplete. 



A step forward is made in the Platyptera, where the transforma- 

 tions become complete. In general appearance these are not unlike 

 the stone-flies, but are larger and more stoutly built. The wings 

 are folded in much the same way and the insects are known as ' ' fish- 

 flies," some of them of very large size and formidable appearance. 

 The larvae live on the bottom of streams and under stones, breathing 

 through gill tufts. One of the largest is known as the " dobson " or 

 ' ' hellgrammite. ' ' Neither of these forms is of the least importance 

 to the farmer unless he is also a fisherman : then he is interested to 

 know that the "hellgrammite" is ideal bait for black bass. 



In the terrestrial division the roaches became first developed and 

 from them the other members of the order Orthoptera or straight- 

 winged insects. These include besides roaches, the grasshoppers, 

 katydids and crickets, hence are of great importance to the agri- 

 culturist. All these Orthoptera have the fore-wings narrow, unfitted 

 for flight and serving chiefly as covers for the large secondaries which 

 are folded fan-like beneath them. The transformations are incom- 

 plete. 



Some of the earlier roaches had, and indeed some of those yet liv- 

 ing have, the hind wings folded transversely, and from this type we 

 derive the Dermoptera and Coleoptera. 



The Dermoptera or earwigs are scarce in our State, though they 

 are injurious in some European countries ; but they resemble small, 

 short-winged beetles, with a curious forceps-like anal appendage 

 which they use in tucking their large hind wiugs under the short 

 wing-covers. To enable them to do this the hind wing is hinged at 

 the middle of the front margin and around this hinge the plaits radiate 

 so that the whole can be tucked into a little packet. 



The Coleoptera or sheath-winged insects, commonly called beetles, 

 are of the utmost importance to the farmer. They have the fore 

 wings hardened so as to be useless for purposes of flight, and they are 

 laid on the back so that the inner edges meet in a straight line down 



