PREDACEOUS BUGS. 117 



slender, about three times as long as first ; third segment but little 

 more than one-half as long as second ; fourth segment two-thirds 

 as long as second; fifth segment a little shorter than fourth, 

 dilated ; all segments, except first, pale brownish, lighter at their 

 outer ends. Kostrum pale yellow except at tip, reaching upon 

 hind coxre ; second segment longest, passing front coxas ; third 

 and fourth segments of nearly equal length, the latter brown. 

 Prouotum sparsely punctate before, densely behind, the humeral 

 angles ; its anterior margin ivory yellow, bordered posteriorly with 

 a double row of punctures ; across the surface there are several 

 transverse irregular wrinkles ; sides oblique, straight or but 

 slightly indented, with very minute teeth anteriorly. A pale cal- 

 lous line extends from the middle of the anterior margin to the 

 tip of the scutellum. Post-humeral margins slightly sinuate, pos- 

 terior margin bordered with an ivory-yellow line. Scutellum 

 reaching to the membrane, sinuate behind the middle, where it 

 is more densely punctate than elsewhere ; tip white. P^mbolium 

 and cerium,' except at base, densely punctate ; clavus and base 

 of corium sparsely punctate ; a brownish callous spot occurs near 

 the outer end of the corium ; membrane pale bronze, translucent. 

 Connexivum pale yellowish with faint black markings at incisures. 

 Under-surf ace sulphur yellow with minute black markings laterally 

 in some specimens. Ventral spine reaching the hind coxre, ivory 

 yellow. Legs rufous ; tarsi brown. A black dot occurs at the tip 

 of the osteolar canal and another in front of each eye. 



Habits. 



The life history of this species has been detailed in the 

 last annual report of this committee. Briefly stated, the 

 imagoes hibernate and appear early in the spring. They 

 attack the larvae of Qlisiocarnpa americana Harr., and aiter 

 feeding for about a fortnight upon these and other insects, 

 lay their eggs on the under sides of leaves or on twigs. 

 From fifty to sixty eggs are laid by a single female. The 

 eggs hatch in about ten days, and the red and black nymphs 

 feed on the juices of the leaves for about a week, when the 

 first molting takes place. From this time on the insects are 

 predaceous. The second and third molts take place in 

 twelve and ten days respectively ; in the last nymph stage 

 the head, thorax and wing-pads are intense pitchy black, the 

 abdomen dark red, margined with a series of black spots, 

 one on each sesrment. On the dorsuni there are four black 



