HEM1PTERA. 141 



from which they derive their nourishment, but 

 some of them are predaceous. The most avail- 

 able character for distinguishing these insects is 

 the structure of the wing-covers ; at the base of FlG- 169> 

 the membrane there are one or two cells, otherwise the 

 membrane is without veins (Fig. 169). 



More than two hundred species belonging to this fam- 

 ily are known to occur in the United States. 

 Figure 170 represents the Four-lined Leaf-bug. 

 Poecilocapsus lincatus (Pce-cil-o-cap'sus lin-e-a'tus), 

 a yellow bug, with its prothorax and wing- 

 -pcedi- covers marked with black, which is abundant 

 tus. sus linea ' in early summer on the leaves of currant- 

 bushes and of sage. 



Family PYRRHOCORID^E (Pyr-rho-cor'i-dae). 



Tlie Red-bug Family. 



The members of this family are rather stout and heavily 

 formed bugs, and are generally black or brown, 

 marked with red. Some members of the next 

 family resemble these in markings, but the two 

 families can be distinguished by the venation of 

 the membrane of the wing-covers. In this family there are 

 two large cells at the base of the membrane, and from these 

 arise branching veins (Fig. 171). 



The most important species of this family is the Red-bug, 

 or Cotton-stainer, Dysdercus suturellus (Dys-der'cus su-tu- 

 rel'lus) (Fig. 172). The adult is of a reddish color ; the wing- 

 covers are pale brown, with pale-yellow stripes. The young 

 are bright red, with black legs. They do much 

 damage by piercing the stems and bolls of the 

 cotton-plant and sucking the juices, but do much 

 more damage by staining the cotton in the open- 

 ing bolls. They also puncture the rind of oranges 

 in Florida, so that decay soon sets in, and the 

 FIG. 172. z^j-fruit drops. These insects can be trapped by 



dercus sutu-. .... . A , 



laying chips of sugar-cane around the cotton- 



