390 



AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



space; and the margin of the abdomen is spotted with yellow from 

 a similar cause; the membrane of the hemelytra is black. 



This species winters in the adult state. 

 In early summer it lays its eggs in little 

 patches on the young leaves of squash and 

 allied plants. The young bugs are short 

 and more rounded than the adult insects. 

 There are several generations of this 

 species each year. 



This is one of the most annoying of 

 the many pests of the kitchen-garden; 

 and, unfortunately, no satisfactory meth- 

 od of control has been devised. The egg 

 masses are conspicuous and can be col- 

 lected and destroyed; the young nymphs 

 can be killed by spraying with io% 

 kerosene emulsion; the adults can be 

 trapped under bits of boards and stones; 

 and many nymphs can be killed by de- 

 stroying the vines as soon as the crop is 

 harvested. 



Acanthocephala femordta (Fig. 453) will serve as an example of 

 one of the larger members of this family. This species is distribut- 

 ed from North Carolina to Florida and Texas. It has been known 

 to destroy the cotton-worm, and is said to injure the fruit of the 

 cherry by puncturing it with its beak and sucking the juices. 



Fig. 453. — Acanthocephala 

 femorata. (From Glover.) 



Family PENTATOMID^ 



The Stink-Bug Family 



With the Pentatomidas we reach a series of families, three in 

 number, in which the antennae are usually five-jointed, differing in 

 this respect from all of the preceding families. The 

 form of the body presented by the great majority of 

 the members of the Pentatomidas is well shown by 

 Figure 454. It is broad, short, and but slightly convex; 

 the head and prothorax form a triangle. The scutellimi 

 is narrowed behind ; it is large and in a few forms nearly 

 covers the abdomen. The tibias are unarmed or are 

 furnished with very fine short spines. 



As with the Coreidas, the members of this family 

 vary greatly in their habits; some are injurious to 

 vegetation; others are predacious; while some species 

 feed indifferently upon animal or vegetable matter. Some species 

 are often found on berries and have received the popular name of 



Fig. 454-— A 

 pentatomid. 



