550 HEMIPTERA. 



Thrips, in which the females are provided with a fonr-valved 



compressed ovipositor which lies in a furrow in the two last 

 abdominal segments. The fore wings are thickened, elj-tri- 

 form, with two longitudinal continuous veins. The antennas 

 are, for the most part, nine-jointed. Thrips cerealium Halida}' 

 is dark reddish brown, and very injurious to wheat. 



Capsini Burmeister. The species of this family are A'ery 

 numerous and very active in their habits, running swiftly 

 and easily rising on the wing. They are fond of fruits, and it 

 is the little Capsi which give such a nauseous taste to the rasp- 

 beny, which they feed upon. The females are distinguished 

 from the males "by having the ovipositor nearl}^ half the 

 length of the body, somewhat sabre-shaped, and received into 

 a slit on the under side of the abdomen." The body in this 

 group is convex, oval, and of a soft consistence, and "distin- 

 guished by the elongated antennae having the second joint 

 often thickened at the tip, and the terminal joints verj" slen- 

 der, the rostrum long and four-jointed, while the ocelli are 

 wanting. The pupa of Capsus Danicus is clothed with short 

 and somewhat clavate hairs." (Westwood.) 



In Capsus the body is elliptical or oval ; the head is triangu- 

 lar, convex. Capsus quadrivittatus Harris is yellow, with four 

 black bands. Phytocoris differs from Capsus, according to Har- 

 ris, in having a smaller head, while the thorax is wider behind 

 and narrower in front. P. linearis Beauv. is a fifth of an inch 

 long ; the head is yellowish with three narrow, longitudinal, 

 reddish stripes ; the thorax has a yellow margin, with five longi- 

 tudinal 3-ellow lines upon it. The male is much darker colored. 

 It is excessively common on all kinds of plants. It appears 

 early in April, but is most abundant in summer. In the genus 

 Miris the head is elongated triangular ; the basal joint of the 

 antennae is thickest, whereas in the preceding genus the second 

 joint is the stoutest. 3Iiris dorsalis Saj^ is pale yellowish 

 rufous, immaculate, and the antennae are rather stout, tapering, 

 and rufous. 



Membranacei Lati-eille. This family includes the Bed-bug, 

 and it is from this insect that the name "bug" has been ex- 



