Feb., '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 49 



that the genus Acanthosoma does not occur in America at all, 

 the species referred to this genus by the American authors 

 belonging to other genera. That they have not hitherto been 

 correctly located may partly be due to the circumstance that 

 the palearctic genera of this subfamily have been badly mixed 

 up in the catalogue of L/ethierry and Severin. By aid of the 

 following characters our species are easily located : 



Acanthosoma Curt. Mesosternal lamina not prolonged back- 

 ward. Mesosternum at the base behind the lamina a little 

 elevated ; the elevated part longitudinally excavated or sul- 

 cated (Old World genus). 



Elasmostethus Fieb., Stal. Mesosternal lamina prolonged 

 backward between or behind the middle coxae. Posterior lat- 

 eral margins of the pronotum neither depressed nor ampliated. 

 Posterior angles of pronotum obtuse, not projecting backwards. 

 Orificia long, about three times as long as the distance between 

 their apex and the anterior angle of the metasternum. 



To this genus belong (i) cruciatus Say, (2) atricornis V. 

 Duz., (3) cooleyi V. Duz., which I have not seen. It is de- 

 scribed as a variety of cruciatus, but, judging from the descrip- 

 tion, I think there can be no doubt that it is a different species. 



Elasmucha Stal (Clinocoris Hahn). Mesosternal lamina as 

 in Elasmostethus. Posterior lateral margins of the pronotum 

 depressed and ampliated. Posterior angles of pronotum angu- 

 larly projecting backwards. Orificia rather short, less than 

 twice as long as the distance between their apex and the ante- 

 rior angle of the metasternum. 



To this genus belongs (4) lateralis Say. The name Clinoco- 

 ris cannot be accepted for this genus, being pre-occupied by 

 Fallen for the bedbug. 



According to Distant, A picicolor Westw. , described from an 

 unknown locality, is a synonym of lateralis Say ; but Horvath, 

 who has also examined West wood's type, says that it is the 

 same species as the palearctic fiebcri Jak. Both these authors 

 may be right, for it is not impossible that fiebcri will prove to 

 be identical with the nearctic lateralis. I have no specimen 

 of fiebcri here for comparison, and must leave this <|tu-st.ion 

 unsettled. Distant has described an Acanthosoma jlaiumata 



