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Redtenbacher, Josef.

Schiödte, J. G.

Heymons, Richard.

—— Entwicklungsgeschichtliche Untersuchungen an Lepisma saccharina L. (Zeitschr. f. Wissens. Zoologie, lxii, 1897, p. 595, 2 Taf. See Fig. 10.)

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The middle region of the body is called the thorax, and in general consists of three segments, which are respectively named the prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax (Figs. 88, 89, 98).

Fig. 88.—External anatomy of Melanoplus spretus, the head and thorax disjointed.

The thorax contains the muscles of flight and those of the legs, besides the fore intestine (œsophagus and proventriculus), as well as, in the winged insects, the salivary glands.

In the more generalized orders, notably the Orthoptera, the three segments are distinct and readily identified.

Fig. 89.—Locust, Melanoplus, side view, with the thorax separated from the head and abdomen, and divided into its three segments.

Each segment consists of the tergum, pleurum, and sternum. In the prothorax these pieces are not subdivided, except the pleural; in such case the tergum is called the pronotum. The prothorax is very large in the Orthoptera and other generalized forms, as also in the Coleoptera, but small and reduced in the Diptera and Hymenoptera. In the winged forms the tergum of the mesothorax is differentiated into four pieces or plates (sclerites). These pieces were named by Audouin, passing from before backwards, the præscutum, scutum, scutellum, and postscutellum. In the nymph stage and in the wingless adults of insects such as the Mallophaga, the true lice, the wingless Diptera, ants, etc., these parts by disuse and loss of the wings are not differentiated. It is therefore apparent that their development depends on that of the muscles of flight, of which they form the base of attachment. The scutum is invariably present, as is the scutellum. The former in nearly all insects constitutes the larger part of the tergum, while the latter is, as its name implies, the small shield-shaped piece directly behind the scutum.