1915J Fauna of the Chilka Lake : Aquatic Insects. 189 



The three species of Rhynchota that may be classed as marginal forms are Och- 

 terus marginatus , Latr., of the family Ochteridae or Pelogonidae, Pirates lepturoides 

 (Wolff) of the family Reduviidae and Leptopus assuanensis , Costa, of the family 

 Saldidae. The first of these is a diurnal species, often very common on mud at the 

 edge of lakes and ponds. It is abundant in this situation at the Sar Lake in the 

 Puri district, but at the Chilka Lake we only obtained one specimen, found on the 

 surface of floating weeds in Gopkuda Bay. Ochterus marginatus occurs in Central 

 Europe and South Africa and is doubtless widely distributed in the Oriental region. 

 Pirates lepturoides apparently resembles Gryllotalpa africana in its habits. It was 

 found in considerable numbers in damp sandy mud near Barhampur Id. in March 

 and under stones near Barkul in the same month. The species has been recorded 

 from several localities in India, Ceylon, Burma, Java and Borneo. Leptopus assua- 

 nensis is an active diurnal species very abundant among rocks in the main area ; it 

 flies about rapidly from rock to rock and settles just above the water-level. The 

 species was described from Egypt and occurs also in Nubia and Madagascar as 

 well as in many Indian localities, some of which are situated far inland. 



From the foregoing notes it is clear that the marginal insects of the Chilka Lake, 

 like most of the aquatic forms, are species of very wide distribution, capable of 

 surviving temporary immersion in salt as well as in fresh water. 



