BIOLOGICAL NOTES ON ORIENT A L IIEMIPTERA NO. S. 3.% 



district. The beetle is exceedingly common in its proper haunts, and more or 

 less gregarious, both adults and larva> feeding on a small, low and dense- 

 growing, succulent plant (^Ammaimia rohmdijolia, Koxb,, N,0. Lythraceae) 

 found in marshy ground and often in shallow water. The eggs are laid in 

 batches on the underside of leaves of the foodplant and arc long-oval smooth, 

 yellow, with a black streak (Plate ], fig. 1). 



The young larvce of the beetle are shining yellowish-brown, later dark 

 brown, sparsely hairy or bristly ; head and legs black (Plate 1, fig. 1). They 

 burrow in the earth when full-grown, making cells, where they change to shiny 

 yellow, smooth pupa\ The adult beetle, as stated previously, is of the same 

 metallic blue as the Zicrona ( Plate 1, fig. 1). 



Whilst sucking a beetle, the bug rests head downwards on a twig, the beetle 

 hanging free from the tip of the labium (Plate 1, fig. 1 ). The bug may some- 

 iines be observed walking about with its prey so situated. 



EXPLANATION OF FIGURES. 



Plate C. — fig. 1. Egg of Zicrona ccurulea. 



„ 2. Xymph about one hour after hatching. 



3. Nymph of fourth instar, 

 „ 4. Nymph of fifth instar. 



,, 5. Nymph of third or fourth instar, just moulted. 



G. Adult. 

 Platk 1, fig. 1. Zicrona feeding on hQQile {Haiti ca cccrulea (?) — 

 usual position— eggs, larva and food-plant (^Am- 

 mannia rotundifolia') of beetle. 

 2. Egg of Zicrona ccerulea : lid removed, showing 

 the lifting spring. 



A. the white T-shaped rib on the " head" of 

 the strip is strongly chitinized, the rest is 

 membranous. 



B. side-view of A. 

 All these figures are magnified. 



[ Note on " Biological Notes on Oriental Hemii'tera" No. 3. 



On page 333 above, the life history of Zicrona cccndea is described by Messrs. 



Kershaw and Kirkaldy. In the first paragraph, the authors state that this 



belongs to the " Subfamily Cimicincs of the Family Cimicida;" This bug is in 



the Fauna of India placed in the Family Pentafomidcr, Subfamily Asopince, and 



the term Asopince has been recently replaced by the term Amyoteince. The 



family Ctmicidce is, in the " Fauna of India," that which includes Cimex, the 



bed-bugs. The authors above have used Cimicidcc to mean Pentatomidce,he\xQv- 



ing the term to be more accurate on grounds of priority ; but their- use of the 



term will certainly mislead students of entomology, to whom Mr . Kirkaldy's 



.discoveries in nomenclature, as expounded in his " Catalogus Hemipterorum 



1908" are not known. Those to whom the "Fauna of India," Rhynchota. 



7 



