136 
THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 
the surface until lured there by the warm weather of spring. 
They then lay their eggs, gluing them fast to water-plants. 
There are members of this family that live on the sur¬ 
face of the ocean, hundreds of miles from land. 
Family LlMNOBATlDAi (Lim-no-bat'i-dae). 
% The Marsh-t readers. 
Only a single species of this family, the Marsh-t reader, 
Lvmnobates lineata (Lim-nob'a-tes lin-e-a'ta), is found in the 
United States. This is represented greatly 
enlarged by Figure 158. Although not an 
uncommon species, it is rarely seen on ac¬ 
count of its small size and quiet habits. It 
can be recognized by its linear form and 
the great length of its head, which is longer 
than the thorax. It crawls about on the 
surface of the water or mud, or climbs upon 
water-plants and sticks projecting from the 
water; it seems to prefer stagnant ponds 
or marshes. We do not know upon what 
it feeds. 
Family Emesid JE (E-mes'i-dae). 
The Thread-legged Bugs. 
This family includes a small number of insects in which 
the body is very slender and the middle and hind legs are 
thread-like; but the fore 
legs are fitted for grasping, 
resembling much those of 
the Mantes. Our most 
common species is the 
Long-legged Emesa, Eme- 
sa longipes (Em'e-sa lon'- 
gi-pes), which is repre¬ 
sented by Figure 159. This Fig. 159. —Emesa longipes. 
is found upon trees, or sometimes swinging by its long legs 
from the roofs of sheds or barns. It is predaceous. 
Fig. 158. —Limnobates 
lineata . 
