CEPHALIC GLANDS IN GELASTOCORIS 
(HEMIPTERA-HETEROPTERA) 
By Margaret C. Parsons 1 
Eiological Laboratories, Harvard University 
In the literature on the anatomy of the aquatic Crypto- 
cerata (Hemiptera-Heteroptera) there are many references 
to the “cephalic” or “maxillary” glands. These large cylin- 
drical or sac-like structures, whose external openings lie 
at the base of the labium, are located on either side of the 
head in the Corixidae (Banks, 1939; Benwitz, 1956), No- 
tonectidae (Bordas, 1905 a; Bugnion and Popoff, 1908), 
Naucoridae (Becker, 1929; Rawat, 1939), and Belos- 
tomatidae (Locy, 1884; Bugnion and Popoff, 1908). In 
the Nepidae, they may be partly ( Nepa ; Bordas, 1905 b) 
or entirely ( Ranatra ; Bugnion and Popoff. 1908; Neis- 
wander, 1925) contained in the thorax, with ducts leading 
to the openings in the head. Previous investigations of 
these glands in the Cryptocerata have mentioned their 
presence only in the aquatic forms; they have never been 
reported in the shore-dwelling cryptocerates. 
While studying the anatomy of the shore-dwelling cryp- 
tocerate Gelastocoris oculatus oculatus ( Fabricius) (Gelas- 
tocoridae), the author noted two large, sac-like structures, 
one lying on either side of the ventral part of the head. 
Figure 1 indicates, in dotted lines, their approximate posi- 
tion, which is revealed by cutting away the exoskeleton 
from the entire ventral surface of the head. They lie im- 
mediaetly beneath this exoskeleton, extending anteriorly 
to the base of the labium and posteriorly a little beyond 
the antennal socket. Anteriorly they reach nearly to the 
1 This research was carried out during the tenure of the Ellen C. Sabin 
Fellowship, awarded by the American Association of University Women. 
Thanks are due to the members of the C. V. Riley Entomological Society, 
Columbia, Missouri, who collected the specimens of Gelastocoris. 
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