LIBRARY

800
COLLEGE ENTOMOLOGY
Pelocoris SUll. The first and last are North American, with Ambrysus signoreti
St;\! and Pe/or()1is femoralus (Palisot-Beauvois) as the most widely distributed
species. N altcoTis is European and Asiatic, and Aphelocheirus is well represented
in Japan and China.
Family NEPIDJE 1 (Latreille 1802) (Nep'i-dre. from the Latin nepa. a scorpion:
from their fancied resemblance to a scorpion because of the long anal
respiratory filaments). Water Scorpions.
Aquatic. specie,; variable in form from a very slender, subcylindrical type,
Ralla/ra, to a wide, elongate-oval form, Nepa, with intermediates, Curic/a.
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FIG. 100. The giant water bug or electric light bug, Lethocerus americanus
(Leidy). tFromlnsects of Western Nottll America.)
The exoskeleton is dull gray Dr brownish, leathery, and usually smooth. Head
small, set into prothorax. Antennre short and hidden; three-segmented. Eyes
large. Ocelli absent. Rostrum short; three-segmented. Prothorax long and
neck-like. Wings well developed. Hemelytra leathery; membrane with a
number of distinct or indefinite veins. Legs arising from front of prothorax;
forelegs short or long, raptorial, the tibire grooved to receive the one-segmented
sickle-like tarsi which fold back into them. Middle and hind legs long and
linear and hardly adapted for swimming; tarsi one-segmented and with claws;
.1'l"1:1e family name of these inseeta has been known as NEPARVE Latr. 1802; NEPIDA,
tribe NEPIDES Leach 1815; NEPAD.tE Samouelle 1819; NEPID.tE Fallen 1829, Stephens
1829. and ()thers to date.
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