404 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. iii 



Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Modesto, Pasadena, Point Arena, Plumas Co., 3 miles 

 south of Olancho, Rio Vista, Riverside, Seal Beach, Sequoia National Park, 

 Truckee; March to September. Colorado: Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort 

 Collins, Fountain Valley, Manitou, Power Co.; June, August. Idaho: Hansen, 

 Murtaugh, Twin Falls; May and June. Illinois: Havana, Oregon; May, June. 

 Indiana: Pine; May. Iowa: Iowa City, Lake Okoboji; May to September. 

 Kansas: Clark Co., Dodge City. Louisiana: Bassier; February. Missouri: 

 St. Louis; June. Nevada: Humboldt Lake; August. New Mexico: Albuquerque, 

 Scholle, Estancia, Torrance Co., Tucumari, Vaughn, Willard; June to September. 

 Oklahoma: Alva, Stillwater; April, May. Oregon: The Dalles, Umatilla; May, 

 June. South Carolina: Charleston; March. South Dakota: Chester, Hecla; June. 

 Texas: Amarillo, Austin, Katherine, Somerset, Tyler, Uvalde, Valentine; February 

 to June, September to December. Utah: Ogden, Provo; June. Virginia: Cape 

 Henry; June. Washington: Vantage; April. 



Mexico: Coahuila: Torre6n. Durango: Durango. Guanajuata: "Gazales 

 Jet.," San Miguel Avende; August. Hidalgo: Zimipdn; November. Sonora: 

 Los Alamos, Quay mas; August. 



DiscussiON.^ — The extreme variability exhibited by this species has 

 been most confusmg. This variability is evident on most parts of 

 the body. The head may be weakly (fig. 29) to strongly convex 

 (fig. 28) with the part within the submarginal row of setigerous punc- 

 tures being abruptly or gradually tumid ; the surface may have weak 

 to strong radiating rugae and may be virtually impunctate, with few 

 scattered punctures or with crowded close punctures. The pronotum 

 varies in degree of narrowing of the sides, in the number and size of 

 punctures and in shape of prosternal carina which may (fig. 29) or 

 may not be truncated ventrally. The scutellum and hcmelytra like- 

 wise vary in surface sculpture. The membrane may be immaculate 

 or patterned as described above. The general shape may be from 

 broadly oval to very broadly oval or almost rounded in outline. With 

 such variability to evaluate, one wonders whether one or several 

 species are involved here, and whether or not this species may actually 

 encompass the form maintained in the present paper as testudiiiatuH! 

 With more time and material available for study the answer may 

 become evident, but at present decisions are only tentative. 



Reports by Hart (1919) and Stoner (1920) indicate that this species 

 is normally an inhabitant of the roots of various plants growing in 

 sandy areas. Notes on some of the specimens examined during this 

 study confirm the sandy habitat with such remarks as "sand," "sand 

 area," or "sand dune." Occasional specimens likewise bore a record 

 of the plants with which they were associated, as follows : Cantaloupe 

 in Arizona, Amsinkia roots and CeonotJoera cheiranthefolia in Cali- 

 fornia, and Hudsonia in Virginia. Stoner (loc. cit.) gave additional 

 notes on the habits of this species in Iowa, reporting that adults 

 were present in spring and that nymphs outnumbered adults during 

 the summer months. He reported an interesting observation in 



