2 STREPSIPTERA 



Order STREPSIPTERA, Kirby 



Strepsiptera. Kirby (order), Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond, Vol. n,pp. 109-1 1 2 (i8i3). 



Phthiromyae. Latreille (tribe 3, Diptera), Gen. Crust. Ins. Vol. 4, p. 388(1807). 



Rhipidoptera. Lamarck (family, Diptera), Anim. s. Vert. Vol 3, pp. 348-35.; (1816). 



Rhipiptera. Latreille (order), in Cuvier, RegneAnim. Ins. (1817). 



Rhiphiptera. Leach (order), Zool. Misc. Vol. 3, p. 1 35 (1817). 



Strepsiptera. Gegenbaur (family, Neuroptera Trichoptera) (1827). 



Stylopidse. Stephens (family, Coleoptera Heteromera). Syst. Cat. Brit. Ins. Vol. 1, p. 403 (1829). 



Stylopidse. Shuckard(familv, Neuroptera), in Swainson, Nat. Hist. Arrang. Ins. pp. 1 63, 35 1-353 (1840). 



Stylopites. Newman (tribe, Coleoptera), The Zoologist, Vol. 3, p. 949 (1845). 



Stylopides. Lacordaire (family, Coleoptera). Gen. Col. Vol. 2, pp. 634-641(1859). 



Stylopidse. Saunders (family, Coleoptera), Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. pp. 1-48 (1872). 



Strepsiptera. Sharp (family, Coleoptera Heteromera). Encycl. Britt. (9th ed.), Vol. i3, pp. 148, 149 



(1881). 

 Strepsiptera. Brauer (family, Coleoptera Malacodermata), Sitz.-Ber. Akad. V'iss. Wien, Vol. 91, 



pp. 335, 377, 378(i885). 

 Stylopinae. Lameere (subfamily, Coleoptera Melandryidae), Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. Vol. 44, p. 370,377 



(1900). 

 Xenidse. Semenov (family, Coleoptera Tenebrionoidea), Rev. Russe d'Ent. Vol. 2, pp. 258-262(1902). 

 Strepsiptera. Pierce (redefined as an order), Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. Vol. 9, pp. 75-85 (1908). 

 Strepsiptera. Pierce (monograph of order), Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 66 (1909). 



The above references contain the principal synonymy, but there are many other quotations 

 under several ol these names which may be found in full by reference to the last quoted paper. 



Characters of the order. — An order of hvpermetamorphic endoparasitic insects with highly 

 specialized reduction of certain functional organs, great specialization of other functional organs, and 

 with dissimilar sexes. 



Male. — Elytrophorous, winged, ephemeral. Head and thoracic segments united by elastic 

 commissures. Head transverse, with eyes stalked and composed of regularly placed separated hexagonal 

 ommatidia. Mouth parts specialized, rudimentary, vestigial, or lacking. Labrum and labium absent: 

 pharynx presenting a great exposed surface which is folded crater-like and contracts into a small tube 

 distant from the appendages; mandibles and maxillse arising beneath the genae near their base; 

 maxilla? more or less reduced. Antennae sensitive, with one or more joints laterally produced. Thorax 

 with principal parts capable of independent movement, united by elastic commissures. Prothorax much 

 reduced; mesothorax reduced; metathorax greatly elongated, occupying at least one-half the length of 

 the body and apically covering the base of the abdomen. Front coxal cavities open behind; tarsal claws 

 absent, except in Mengeoidea. The legs are unfit for use, except in adhering to the body of the female's 

 host duiing copulation, which is the only function of the males. Halteres, or balancers, attached very 

 low on the mesopleurse and not serving as a protection to the wings, deformed and greatly reduced. The 

 mesostigmata are frequently protected by a lobe-like process beneath the base of each elytron. Wings 

 folded longitudinally; veining simple, radial. Genitalia with cedeagus exposed, arising at tip of ninth 

 segment; ninth segment ventrally surpassing tenth, at the tip of which is the anus. 



Female. — Larviform, apodous, permanently endoparasitic, inclosed by the persistent skin of the 

 pupa. Pupa larviform, apodous. Head and thorax adnate, forming an acariform chitinized disk, sepa- 

 rated by a constriction from the sac-like abdomen. This disk, the cephalothorax, protrudes from between 



