He-imp'te-ra. L. neut. pl. of hemipterus, half-winged, fr. Gr.

half, +

wing - i. e., insects have forewings partly membranous and partly coriaceous, chitinous. This family includes the various kinds of bugs - hexapod insects, having a jointed proboscis, including 4 sharp stylets (mandibles and maxillae) for piercing and sucking; have no sucking stomach. They feed upon plant-juices or animal blood. The metamorphosis is mostly incomplete; the molt is, as a rule, repeated 4 times, the stage next to the last, preceding the imago, being called pupa. Includes squash-bug, soldier-bug, bed-bug, cicidas, cuckoo, spites, plant lice, scale insects, thrips, lice. Genus. 1. Coccus.