KEY TO FAMILIES OF SCUTELLEROIDE^E. 35 



and 13) ; frena absent, or if present, less than one-fifth the length 

 of scutellum; opaque part of corium (fig. 12), much narrowed to- 

 ward apex. 



6. Tibiae not strongly spinose; connexivum of abdomen with seven 



visible dorsal segments; color never shining black. 



c. Sides of pronotum without a prominent tooth or lobe in front of 



humeral angles, and another on front angles; hamus of inner 



wings present; eyes never protuberant. Habitat variable, 



often arboreal, usually hygrophilous. 



Family I. Scutellariae, p. 35. 

 cc. Sides of pronotum with a prominent tooth or lobe in front of 

 humeral angles and another on front angles (fig. 11) ; hamus 

 of inner wings wanting; eyes protuberant or stylated. Ter- 

 restrial and hygrophilous Family II. Podopid^e, p. 53. 

 66. Tibiae with two or more rows of strong black spines ; connexivum 

 with but six visible ventral segments; color usually shining 

 black. Terrestrial; phytophagous. 



Family III. Corimel^enid^e, p. 58. 

 aa. Scutellum of medium size, shorter than corium, more or less triangu- 

 lar, with apex narrowed (figs. 14 and 17), rarely (Stiretrus) 

 large and U-shaped, the colors then bright and contrasting; frena 

 distinct, one-fourth or more the length of scutellum; opaque part 

 of corium subtriangular, broad apically. 

 d. Tibiae armed with two or more rows of long strong black or brown 

 spines; front legs fossorial; length rarely more than 7 mm. Sub- 

 terrestrial, usually ammophilous; food habits undetermined. 



Family IV. Cydnid^e, p. 70. 

 dd. Tibiae armed, if at all, only with small weak spines; front legs 

 not fossorial ; length rarely less than 7 mm. Habitat variable, 

 often arboreal ; mainly phytophagous. 



Family V. Pentatomid^e, p. 91. 



Family I. SCUTELLERID^E Leach, 1815, 121. 

 The Shield-backed Bugs. 



Heteroptera of medium or large size and oval, usually strong- 

 ly convex form, having the head triangular ; eyes sessile ; ocelli 

 two; cheeks not prolonged beyond the tylus ; beak 4-jointed; 

 antennae (in our species) 5-jointed, inserted on the sides of 

 head ; pronotum more or less hexagonal, its front half often 

 strongly declivent and lateral angles distinct; scutellum U- 

 shaped, very large, nearly or quite reaching the tip of abdo- 

 men and often covering the whole of the elytra except the basal 

 portion of the costal margin, its sides not furnished with a 

 frenum or ridge on which the inner edge of the clavus rests ; 



