REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 



465 



biting at the confiaing fingers and exuding from the mouth, grass- 

 hopper-like, a dark-colored fluid. The males bear the seventh and 

 following segments of the abdomen curved over the fifth and sixth, so 

 that the enlarged, forceps-like genitalia not infrequently touch the 

 dorsal spine of the sixth abdominal segment (PI iv, fig. 12). 



The males use the genital armor as a weapon; they can pinch harder 

 with the large harpe (PI iii, fig. 12 h.) than with the mandibles. The 

 mobile, extensile abdomen enables them to use this weapon quite 

 effectively. European species (P. germanica or P. communis) are said 

 to " dart out a long, slender tube toward the disturbing object. 

 Through this tube a little drop of malodorous, whitish fluid is forced, 

 which is undoubtedly repugnant to its enemies."* At least fifty of these 

 insects were handled while alive, and yet nothing of the kind was 

 observed in our species. 



A Peculiar Organ. 



Several times two scorpion flies were seen standing side by side and 

 facing in nearly opposite directions — the tip of the long beak of one 

 nearly resting upon the abdomen of the other about midway of its 

 length. No importance was attached to this seemingly accidental 

 position at the time. Later studies of the male revealed a curious 

 organ at this point. Near the anterior margin of the fourth abdomi- 

 nal segment there is a median tuberculate process or globular elevation 

 bearing a large, conical, spine, which points in an anterio-dorsal direc- 

 tion (PI. iv, fig. 6). The large spine appears to be the opening of some 

 kind of a gland. The posterior margin of the preceding segment is 

 produced backward as a bilobed extension thickly set with stout eetce. 

 This process has the appearance of a separate sclerite and is probably 

 protective in function, as it not infrequently nearly conceals the organ 

 on the fourth segment. In P. maculosa this organ is more fully 

 developed. No trace of it has been found in the female. From the 

 above it would seem probable that this organ secreted a volatile oil 

 attractive to the female. 



The male of Panorpa nematogaster McLachl. from Java " possesses 

 a curious appendage to the third joint " of the abdomen.f As the third 

 segment of McLachlan is what I have found to be really the fourth, it 

 is possible that this " curious appendage homologous with the 

 similarly located organ occurring in our native species. As a descrip- 

 tion of this interesting appendage of Panorpa nematogaster is not 



* Packard: in Kingsley's Standard Natural History, ii, Crustacea and Insects, 1884, p. 161. 

 t Scudder: in Bull. 2, U. S. Geol. Geograph. Surv., iv, 1878, p. 54;. 



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