LIBRARY

288 COLLEGE ENTOMOLOGY
Uhler, Empicoris Wolff, Gardena Dohrn, GhiUanella Spinola, Barce SUtl, and
Sienolemus Signoret.
Ploiaria culicifornzis DeGeer is a common species in Europe and extends
into western Asia and northern Africa. Four species occur in North America,
of which P. errabunda (Say) is the best known.
Ploiaria brellipennis (Say) is a very common species throughout much of
North America and Barce annulipes SHU and B. fraterna (Say) are widely
distributed east of the Rocky Mountains. Ploiaria huttoni (Scott) is a wingless
species in New Zealand and in Juan Fernandez Island off the central coast of
Chile.
Empicoris rubromaculatus (Blackburn) is our commonest species, occurring
in North and South America and in Hawaii.
Family NABIDlE 1 (Costa 1852) (Nab/i-dre, from the Latin nabis, a giraffe:
referring to the elongated prothorax and head or the long rostrum).
Damsel Bugs.
Medium-sized, slender, predacious bugs; gray, brown, black, or reddish in
color; dull, shining, pubescent or hairy. Head elongate. Antennre long, slender,
normally four-segmented; five-segmented in certain exotic forms; a supplementary
ring segment may be present at base of II. Eyes well developed.
Ocelli present, normal or reduced. Rostrum long, four-segmented, rarely
three-segmented. Prothorax long and narrow; pronotum with anterior impression
and prosternum without stridulatory groove. Wings normal or greatly
reduced, some forms dimorphic. Hemelytra with corium, large clavus, membrane,
and sometimes an embolium; cuneus absent; membrane with two or
three large elongated cells and radiating veins with few connecting cross veins.
Legs slender; fore pair raptorial. Tarsi three-segmented. Claws without
arolia. Abdomen slender or wide. Female with ovipositor. Male with abdominal
segment IX enlarged and with copulatory hooks.
The members of this family are largely predacious on plant bugs and other
smaller insects and are therefore considered beneficial. They occur generally
upon vegetation.
The family is closely related to the REDUVIIDiE, with which it was
formerly combined. It is widely distributed and consists of about 350 species.
The important genera are Arbela Stal, Nabis Latr., and Pagasa Stat The
genus N abis is most widely distributed and is practically cosmopolitan.
There are eight common species in Europe, 50 in North America, one in
Australia, and two in New Zealand. Nabz's ferus Linn. is the commonest
species and one of the best known members of the order. It is a dull-gray
bug,8 mm. long, which occurs throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The
brachypterous N. apterus Fab. is Palrearctic and does not occur in North
America.
1 The correct spelling NABID..-E was met used by Donrn 1859. Hedicke 1935 spells the
Jlatnl) NABIJ)lDJE,