THE SHIELD-BACKED BUGS. 51 



closely Camirus porosus (Germ.), but easily separated by the 

 toothed margins of head and pronotum and white spots at base 

 of scutellum. 



X. Phimodera Germar, 1839, 60. 



Small oblong-oval species having the head strongly declivent, 

 its front broad and subtruncate ; tylus strongly convex, but 

 slightly surpassing the cheeks ; antennae with first and second 

 joints subequal, third slightly shorter, fourth and fifth each 

 one-half longer than second ; beak scarcely reaching first ven- 

 tral, its third and fourth joints flattened, together scarcely as 

 long as second. Pronotum with disk uneven, due to the broad, 

 ill defined transverse median groove which ends each side in 

 an irregular oblique impression ; lateral angles obtusely 

 rounded, shallowly notched behind the apex ; front side mar- 

 gins sinuate, the hind ones rounded into base. Scutellum 

 broadly oval, covering apical two-thirds of costal border of ely- 

 tra; connexivum narrowly exposed. Osteole indistinct without 

 evident canal. Abdomen evenly punctate without trace of 

 stridulatory smooth areas. 



Three species are known from the United States, one of 

 which occurs in our territory. 



14 (24). Phimodera binotata (Say), 1824a, 298; I, 198. 



Oblong-oval, moderately convex. Dull brownish-yellow varied with 

 fuscous, this forming three vague stripes on head and pronotum, and an 

 irregular blotch in each of the basal depressions of scutellum; the nar- 

 row border of pronotum and some short oblique lines on sides of scutellum 

 also fuscous; scutellum with a smooth oblong raised space in and back of 

 the basal depressions a brighter yellow; connexivum with a small, pale 

 smooth tubercle on each incisure; under surface largely fuscous, the 

 thoracic pleura in part dull yellow; antennae and legs fuscous with paler 

 markings. Upper surface finely and rather closely punctate, the scu- 

 tellum with a faint median carina. Genital plate of male broadly semi- 

 circular. Other characters as in generic description. Length, 6.5 — 7 

 mm.; width, 4 — 4.5 mm. 



Havana, 111., April 6, {Hart & Malloch). Other specimens 

 were taken by Hart near Havana May 31 and Oct. 29. They 

 were found beneath cover in blowouts in the sand dune region. 

 Zimmer (1911, 240) records the finding, on Sept. 23, of 

 a single male near Halsey, Nebr., in a similar habitat. Known 

 elsewhere only from Colorado. Say's types were from the 

 "Northwest Territory." 



