among them are several destructive species. Among a number of hemiptera
submitted to D’Horvath for identification were two species, viz.,
_Rhoecocoris (Oncoscelis) sulciventris_ and _Stilida indecora_, which
both in the larval and perfect state swarm over the orange orchards
in the north of N.S. Wales and, by sucking up the sap of the stalks,
cause the unripe oranges to fall. Their habits and life history
being identical, _Rhoecocoris (Oncoscelis) sulciventris_, which was
identified by Olliff in the Agricultural Gazette N.S.W. 1892, I at
first confused with _Stilida indecora_ (Ag. Gazette, N.S.W., 1901). _S.
indecora_ is of a more reddish brown tint than _R. sulciventris_, with
the dorsal surface of the thorax not punctured, and the apical areas of
elytra more bell shaped, while the venation is much finer; while the
thorax of _R. sulciventris_ is distinctly punctured and the anterior
edge of the apical area of the elytra is broadly rounded. _Oncomeris
flavicornis_ is our largest Australian plant bug, over 1½ inches in
length, of a broad shield shape, over ¾ of an inch across the rounded
thorax, and of a general dark reddish brown almost black colour on the
dorsal surface; each elytron is richly marked on the basal half with
bright yellow, and the apical portion is rich metallic purple. It comes
from the tropical scrubs of N. Queensland.
In the Sub-family DINIDORINAE we have _Megymenum insulare_, a typical
form very common on the foliage of the low scrub of the semi-tropical
forests of N.S. Wales and Queensland. It is of a general chocolate
brown tint, with the inner apical markings of the elytra dull white; it
measures just under ½ an inch; the sides of the head and the front of
thorax are furnished with short angular spines, which are also present
round the outer edge of the abdominal segments; and the whole of the
dorsal surface is rugose. The immature larvae are brown, flattened, and
fringed right round with bract-like processes.
Family 2. Gum-tree Bugs.
COREIDAE.
This group contains bugs in which the scutellum does not extend as
far back as the middle of the body; the head is generally furnished
with four-jointed antennae inserted above on the sides of the head;
there are two ocelli; and the sheath of the proboscis consists of
four segments. Many species have the femora of the hind legs dilated
or armed with blunt spines. The majority are dull coloured insects
that have no distinctive common name in Australia, so for want of
better, I propose to define them as “Gum-tree bugs,” as many typical
forms feed upon the young shoots of our gum trees (_Eucalyptus_). In
America they are sometimes called “Squash Bugs” from their fondness for
pumpkin plants. Over 1,500 species have been described and placed in 29
sub-families; and they are well represented in Australia.
The MICTINAE are represented by one of our best known species, which
I called the “Crusader Bug,” _Mictis profana_. It is a somewhat
variable elongate insect just under an inch in length, of a uniform
dull drab-brown, with the inner edge of each elytron marked with a dull
yellow stripe, which, intersecting each other in the centre, produce a
distinct cross on the back. The hind legs are thickened and the apex of
the tibia forms a blunt spine. It has a wide range over Australia, and
of late years has been found infesting the citrus orchards, where it
punctures the young shoots and causes them to die back.
The Genus _Amorbus_ contains 15 described species peculiar to this
country, most of which feed upon the foliage of young gum trees and
give out a very strong odour when touched; the young larval forms are
often brightly coloured, but in the adult state all these bugs are
dull brown. _Amorbus angustior_, under ¾ of an inch in length, has the
dorsal surface flattened; the abdomen swells out on the sides beyond
the edge of the folded elytra, and the whole surface is granulated or
roughened. It is of a uniform chocolate colour with the antennae and
abdomen rusty red. _A. robustus_ is a much larger species, stout in
proportion, with the same elongate form, but the edges of the abdomen
not projecting beyond the wings.
_Mutusca brevicornis_ is a very slender brown bug, about ½ an inch in
length, usually found resting among the grass. The head and thorax are
elongate, with the former produced in front of the antennae into two
slender lobes; the elytra are long and slender, and the wings well
adapted for flight. _Riptortus robustus_ is also an elongate bug, but
shorter and stouter, with the head short and angular; the thorax is
short, rounded in front, and produced into a ridge behind, with a stout
spine on either side. The body is long, constricted in the centre, and
rounded at the tip: the thighs of the hind legs long, thickened and
armed with a row of spines along the inner edge. The general colour is
reddish brown.
The Genus _Leptoglossus_ contains some handsome species which are
remarkable for having the tibiae of the hind legs dilated into
leaf-like processes. _Leptoglossus membranaceus_ is an elongate,
flattened, black bug banded with a slender red line across the thorax;
the head is small, projecting in front of the triangular thorax; and
the shield shaped body comes to a rounded tip. The fore legs are
slender, but the hind pair are slightly thickened on the thighs and
roughened on the inner edges; and the tibiae have leaf-like projections
on either side, giving it a very remarkable appearance. It is common
in North Queensland and ranges over Africa, India, Ceylon, and the
Philippines.
Family 3. Chinch Bugs.
LYGAEIDAE.
This is a family containing about 1,400 described species divided into
thirteen sub-families, but many of the latter are very restricted
in their numbers, the majority coming under the typical sub-family
LYGAEINAE. Their general characters are similar to those of the
Coreidae except that the antennae are inserted below the eyes, and the
head is not so flattened and more angular in front. They are smaller
bugs of more delicate structure, and their prevailing colours are brown
or black variegated with red and yellow; some of them, such as the
Chinch Bug of North America, are very destructive pests. As they have
no distinctive group name I have adopted Professor Comstock’s name of
“Chinch Bugs.”
The LYGAEINAE contain most of the bright coloured species, often marked
with red; the wing covers are usually of a somewhat delicate texture.
_Astacops laticeps_, about ⅓ of an inch in length, is a slender black
bug with the head and sides of the elytra bright red. _Scopiastes
vitticeps_, about the same size, has the head, thorax, and sides of the
body red. Both these insects are common on the grass and field crops
on the Northern Rivers of N.S. Wales. _Lygaeus hospes_ measures ½ an
inch in length, is of the typical elongate form, and is black marked
with bright red forming a broad indistinct cross on the basal portions
of the elytra. It has a wide range from China and India to Australia
and New Caledonia. _L. mactans_ is a much smaller insect, with the
head, base of thorax, and the greater part of each elytron bright red.
It has a wide range over Australia, and is also recorded from Fiji.
_L. decoratus_, about ½ an inch in length, has the whole of the head,
thorax, and sides of the elytra banded with red and black; it comes
from Queensland.
The Cotton Bug, _Oncopeltus quadriguttatus_, figured in my notes in
the Agricultural Gazette 1901, should be according to Horvath _O.
sordidus_, Dallas, though the latter name is given as a synonym of the
first in L. and S.’s Catalogue. It measures ½ an inch in length, is
of a general black colour, with the head and two depressions in the
centre of the thorax dull red, and the scutellum and basal half of each
elytron deep orange red; the abdomen is dull red and clothed with short
down. They lay their eggs to form a ring round a twig, sometimes as
many as a hundred in a cluster; the larvae are flat and almost circular
in form, of a general red colour mottled with metallic blue spots, and
the legs and antennae are dark coloured. This bug is common on the
cultivated cotton plants about the Richmond River, and ranges from
Sydney into Queensland.
The Rutherglen Bug, _Nysius vinitor_, is one of the most destructive
plant bugs in Australia; breeding in grass lands, during the summer
it swarms over all kinds of field crops and fruit trees in countless
millions, sucking up the sap of both the foliage and fruit. It has a
very wide range, and takes its popular name from the town in Victoria,
in which it was first recorded damaging grapes. It is a tiny creature,
under ⅙ of an inch in length, is dull brown to grey in colour with
silvery grey wings; it is very active and flies well. It is so common
that under favourable conditions it might become here as serious a pest
as the Chinch Bug of North America. The Genus is a very extensive one,
containing 69 species distributed from Greenland to S. America, thus
almost world wide in its range.
The Coon Bug, _Oxycarenus luctuosus_, is a tiny black and white bug
about the same size, originally described from New Caledonia. It is
very common, chiefly in the inland districts, swarming over the ground
in millions. When in the larval state, before the wings are developed,
its general colour is bright red, and it is then much more noticeable,
giving the fences on which it rests in the day time a curious blood-red
tint. So far it has never been recorded as a plant pest, but that is
probably only because it is chiefly a western species, where little
fruit is grown.
Family 4. Fruit Bugs.
PYRRHOCORIDAE.
These bugs differ from the last family only in the fact that they are
not provided with ocelli. It is a small family containing under 400
described species, placed in two sub-families.
The LARGINAE contains a number of red coloured bugs, the majority
of which are confined to South America. The members of the Genus
_Physopelta_ however belong to the Indian and Malay region; and _P.
famelica_ ranges from Ceram to Woodlark Island, and down the Queensland
coast to the Tweed River. It measures under ¾ of an inch in length, is
of the typical form, and of a general dull red tint, with the head,
centre of the thorax, and legs dark brown; the centre of the scutellum
and four spots on the sides of the elytra are black.
The PYRRHOCORINAE comprise the bulk of this family, which are chiefly
found in Africa and Asia. The “Harlequin Fruit-bug,” _Dindymus
versicolor_, was originally described from Tasmania, but has a wide
range over Australia. They shelter and breed in the crevices on tree
trunks, and often damage ripe fruit. It measures slightly over ½ an
inch in length; the under surface is yellowish, with the head and
thorax blood red, the latter barred with white. The upper surface and
legs are black, with the greater part of the thorax and basal half
of the side of each elytron bright red. _Dindymus circumcinctus_ is
a slightly smaller, much darker species, the red only showing on the
outer margins of the thorax and elytra. I have specimens collected near
Sydney.
_Dysdercus sidae_ belongs to a genus world wide in its distribution,
and containing over 50 described species. This species is common on the
Richmond River N.S.W., frequenting the cultivated cotton plants, where
it can be seen running over the opening cotton bolls, and discolouring
them with its excrement in the same manner as the “American Cotton
Stainer,” _Dysdercus suturellus_, is reported to do in the United
States. Our species measures about ½ an inch in length; it is red, with
the scutellum and a distinct rounded spot in the centre of each elytron
black. The antennae, eyes, and apical areas of the elytra are also
black; the front and sides of the thorax marked with dull white.
Family 5. Lace Bugs.
TINGIDAE.
These are all small plant bugs without ocelli; the terminal joint of
the antennae is swollen or clubbed; the pronotum is large, covering
the scutellum; the neuration of the elytra is very distinct, forming
intricate, lace-like patterns; the feet consist of two joints. They
are true plant-feeding bugs, generally sucking up the sap from the
under-side of the leaf, and when numerous often become pests. Between
four and five hundred species of TINGIDAE have been described,
and are placed in two sub-families. Few species have been recorded from
Australia, but this is probably not owing to their absence, but because
collectors are apt to overlook these small creatures.
_Serenthia pectipennis_ is a tiny dark brown bug, hardly ½ of an inch
in length; the oval body is convex, and broadly rounded to the apex,
with a curious lighter brown pattern on the elytra. It comes from Glen
Innes, N.S.W.
The Olive-tree Bug, _Froggattia olivina_, was described from specimens
sent to Horvath; its native food plant is the wild olive (_Notalaea
longifolia_); the larvae infest the under surface of the leaves, and
cause them to wither and drop off. It has now transferred its attention
to the cultivated olive, and when numerous will almost defoliate the
trees; it has a wide range over N.S. Wales, but I know no record of
it from the other States. It is a slender, handsome little dark brown
bug, about ⅙ of an inch in length, and has typical clubbed antennae.
The elytra are swollen out toward the base, arcuate on the sides, and
rounded at the extremities, with lace-like reticulations on the apical
areas; the thorax is rounded and convex.
_Oncophysa vesiculata_ is another curious little elongate bug, about
the same length; of a uniform dark brown tint; the upper surface is
marked with distinct ridges and fine punctures, and a pair of large
bulbous processes stand up prominently at the base of the elytra. It is
common about Sydney, where it feeds upon the little native cotton bush.
[Illustration: Plate XXXII.--HEMIPTERA.
Family REDUVIIDAE.
1. _Opistoplatys australasiae_ (Westw.).
3. _Pirates ephippiger_ (White).
6. _Pristhesancus papuensis_ (Stal).
12. _Gminatus nigroscutellatus_ (Bredden).
15. _Gardena australis_ (Horvath).
Family PENTATOMIDAE.
2. _Cuspicona forticornis_ (Bredden).
4. _Poecilometis strigatus_ (Westw.).
7. _Megymenum insulare_ (Westw.).
8. _Philia basalis_ (Grey).
9. _Poecilometis histricus_ (Stal).
13. _Cermatulus nasalis_ (Westw.).
14. _Geobia australis_ (Erich.).
16. _Notius depressus_ (Dall.).
Family COREIDAE.
5. _Amorbus robustus_ (Mayr).
Family GALGULIDAE.
10. _Mononyx annulipes_ (Horvath).
Family PENTATOMIDAE.
11. _Oechalia schellembergi_ (Guérin).]
[Illustration: _Plate XXXII.--HEMIPTERA._]
Family 6. Fungus Bugs.
ARADIDAE.
These are dull coloured black or brown bugs of moderate size, with the
dorsal surface very rugose, and the whole insect thin and flattened,
admirably adapted to the life it leads hidden under the dead bark on
tree trunks, their chief food being fungous growths found upon the damp
bark. Howard calls them “Flat Bark Bugs,” and remarks that they look as
if they had been stepped upon.
They have the tip of the abdomen exposed, as the elytra are shorter
than the body, which is also exposed on the sides when the wings are
folded. Like the Lace-bugs (_Tingidae_) they have no ocelli, but,
unlike them, they have the scutellum exposed. This family contains
about 300 described species, divided into four sub-divisions. Erichson
has described several from Tasmania (Arch. 1842); Bergroth (Verh. Z. b.
Ges. Wien 1886) and Walker (Cat. Heter. 1874) others from Australia.
There are a number of undetermined species in our Museum collections,
most of which are to be found upon fallen timber where the bark is
rotting and peeling off the trunk.
Family 7. Water Striders.
HYDROMETRIDAE.
These are aquatic insects, living upon the surface of the water,
and some are even found on the open ocean, hundreds of miles away
from land. They, like most other water-dwellers, are covered with a
velvet-like pubescence; the head is ornamented with large projecting
eyes; the antennae are four-jointed. They may be wingless; when
present, the elytra are of a uniform texture. Most of the species are
furnished with very long legs. The tarsi are two-jointed. About 160
species are described under four sub-families; only three or four are
described from Australia; but more from the open waters of the Pacific
Ocean.
In the genus _Gerris_, Skuse (Records of the Australian Museum, 1893)
described a species from the waters of Sydney Harbour under the name
of _Gerris australis_. It varies from dark shining olive to black on
the dorsal surface; the ventral surface is yellow with grey tints. It
is covered with a fine silvery pubescence, and measures ⅓ of an inch
in length. _Hydrometra strigosa_, described by Skuse from specimens
from the swamps about Botany, N.S.W., is a larger insect, of a uniform
brownish yellow tint; and it has a more slender shape.
_Halobates whiteleggi_ is a small ochreous water-bug about ⅙ of an
inch in length, and was obtained by Skuse in swarms in the sheltered
nooks of Sydney Harbour. Another species discovered in Torres Straits
has been named _Hermatabates haddeni_, after its discoverer, Professor
Hadden.
The closely allied small family HENICOCEPHALIDAE consists of a single
genus, the members of which are widely distributed. We have one
described from Tasmania by Westwood under the name of _Henicocephalus
tasmanicus_. They fly in swarms, dancing in the air together like
midges. It is noticed they give off a musk-like smell.
Family 8. Assassin Bugs.
REDUVIIDAE.
This is a large division of the Hemiptera, and its members are
carnivorous, destroying different kinds of insects, which they impale
with their beaks, and from which they suck the blood; many can give
a painful stab with the stout beak if handled carelessly. The head
is long, narrowed behind, and freely movable; the rostrum or beak is
short, stout, and is curved under the head, not extending far under
the thorax; the antennae are long, slender towards the tips; the legs
are long, slender, and often hairy; the elytron consists of three
divisions. Some species are wingless. They exhibit much variety in size
and colouration, and their shape is often adapted to their habits. The
large immature forms of one undetermined species, found plentifully
about Maitland, N.S.W., hides in the sand under the shelter of a
log or stone; each covers its back with bits of sand or dirt, and,
thus disguised, it lies in wait for its prey. Over 2,000 species are
described from all parts of the world, and they are grouped into 14
sub-families.
The EMESINAE contain a very curious group of slender grey bugs with
long legs. They might at first sight be mistaken for “daddy longlegs”
or “crane-flies”; and are found, too, in similar situations, viz.,
resting on tree trunks or under the cover of logs and bark; and they
probably live chiefly on these long-legged flies. _Gardena australis_
is of a uniform brown tint, mottled on the legs and elytra with grey.
It is of the usual slender form, with elongate hairy legs. It and
several similar but undetermined species are common about Sydney.
_Opistoplatys australasiae_, representing the small sub-family
TRIBELOCEPHALIDAE, was described and figured by Westwood in 1859; it
is not uncommon on tree trunks about the Richmond River, N.S.W. It
measures over ½ an inch in length, and is flattened on the dorsal
surface; the abdomen is elongate, and rounded at the apex; its general
colour is dull chocolate brown, with the centre of the back slightly
pubescent.
In the group HOLOPTILINAE are some species with feather-like hind legs,
the tibiae being densely clothed with long dark hairs. They are usually
found on the trunks of dead trees, under the shelter of the drying
detached bark, where they are found in all stages of development;
they probably feed upon the small insects that come there for
shelter. Horvath has identified those I have sent him as _Ptilocnemus
femoralis_, a new species, though there are four other species
described from Australia. This new species measures over ⅓ of an inch,
and has the head, thorax, and joints of the legs dull yellow; the under
surface and apical areas of the elytra are marbled with black and
brown; the antennae, head, thorax and legs are fringed with long black
hairs, which on the hind tibiae are so thick as to give the appearance
of a feather or brush. _Aradellus cygnalis_, figured and described by
Westwood (Thesaurus Ent. 1874), is also found hiding under dead bark on
tree trunks. Some specimens were taken at Gunnedah, N.S.W., but I also
have a closely allied, if not a new species, from Bathurst, N.S.W. It
measures slightly over ⅙ of an inch in length, is of a general blackish
brown colour, with yellowish legs, and the elytra are black, mottled
with blotches of white; the curious thickened antennae and legs are
fringed with short stout, bristle-like hairs.
The ACANTHASPINAE are larger slender-legged bugs, well represented
in Australia. The genus _Sphedanocores_ contains several distinct
species with a wide range. _S. distinctus_ measures over ¼ of an inch
in length, and is mottled and barred with dark orange and black; the
head is turned downwards and the rostrum is stout; the thorax is very
rugose. _Reduvius personatus_ is a cosmopolitan species that takes
up its quarters in the house, covering itself with bits of dirt and
feeding upon the common bed bug. It is recorded both from Australia and
Tasmania. The larval form of an allied bug has the broad back concave,
and covers itself with particles of sand; it rests under the shelter of
logs and stones where it lurks during the day. _Reduvius rivulosus_ is
a large bug measuring ¾ of an inch in length; it is of a general dull
brown colour with the elytra mottled with dull yellow, while the whole
insect is clothed with fine woolly hairs, denser upon the legs. It
comes from the Shoalhaven district, N.S.W.
The PIRATINAE comprise some of the so-called “Assassin bugs”; in colour
most of them are dark brown or black, marked with dull yellow; they
hide under stones in the daytime, and often in summer come flying to
the lights in the house at night, when, if carelessly handled they can
inflict a very severe stab with the beak. _Pirates ephippiger_ is one
of our largest species, measuring over ¾ of an inch in length. It is of
a uniform dull black, with the stout legs reddish brown in colour, and
there is a heart-shaped patch of bright yellow behind the scutellum.
The prothorax is narrow, smooth and rounded, with a constriction
separating it distinctly from the broader mesothorax which is also
smooth and rounded. _P. flavopictus_ is a very much smaller species,
black in colour, with the yellow blotch behind the scutellum. The whole
insect is clothed with fine hairs. It is a common species in New South
Wales, and has a wide range over the southern part of the continent.
Twelve other species of this large genus are described from Australia
and Tasmania.
The HARPACTORINAE is the largest division of this family, and comprises
both the large spiny “assassin bugs” that crawl about among the foliage
or hunt over the tree trunks, and some typical forms, most plentiful in
tropical countries.
_Havinthus depressus_ is a small, flat, dark brown species, under ½
an inch in length, with the outer margins of the body mottled with
dull red. _H. rufovarius_ is a larger bug of a general black colour,
with the head, front of thorax, legs, bases of the elytra, and under
surface of the abdomen marked with deep red. The body is rugose and
clothed with short stiff hairs. It has a wide range over Australia; and
a very large variety, with blood red markings, from Kalgoorlie (W.A.),
measures over an inch in length.
The members of the Genus _Gminatus_ are peculiar to Australia, and
are found hunting over tree trunks and flowers. The body is somewhat
constricted behind the thorax, broadening towards the rounded apex.
_Gminatus nigroscutellatus_, over ½ an inch in length, is of a
general bright red colour, with the legs and scutellum black, and the
apical areas of the elytra rich metallic bronze. The dorsal surfaces
of the head and thorax are ornamented with a number of tubercles
or spines. _G. australis_, slightly smaller and more slender than
the previous one, differs in having the head black; the prothorax
black and furnished with two pairs of black spines, and the shorter
spines in the rest of the thorax tipped with black. The Bee Killer,
_Pristhesancus papuensis_, is a large brown bug, nearly 1¼ inches in
length, and thickly clothed with short buff hairs. The outer edge of
the thorax is produced into erect blunt tubercles, seven in number,
forming an angle on the outer margins. The dorsal surface of the
abdomen is very concave; the folded elytra lie sunk well below the
sides of abdomen, which are flanged and raised.
It has been observed sitting on the tassels of maize cobs, catching and
sucking the blood out of hive bees as they come for the pollen. It is
common on the Tweed River, N.S.W., and in Queensland.