29 



StacJiyooicniis apicalis Dallas. July 5, October 6, 8. 



Common in the basin of small blowouts and in the Cassia growth 

 in blovvsand; all summer. One of the few characteristic basin ani- 

 mals. It is probably always found in sand, and has a very wide 

 range, — California to Florida, and from the Great PMains to the 

 northern Atlantic states. The only species of the genus in North 

 America at least. Its wide range is probably due to freedom from 

 competition. No other species is closely related to it either taxo- 

 nomically or in habits, and in its open habitat there are few other 

 species to compete with it. There is no direct evidence as regards 

 the nature of its food, but the species is probably predaceous. 



Charicstenis antennator Fab. August 12, 15. 



Taken by Hart quite abundantly, usually on Euphorbia corollata. 

 Occurs from the southwestern states and the plains region to the At- 

 lantic border. 



Cosmopcpla carnifcx Fab. June 24. 



The food of the Pcntatoinidae is both animal and vegetable. 

 Cosmopcpla is probably a plant feeder. On Scrophularia in the black- 

 jack woods and on other plants along roadsides. Near Urbana a 

 number of the insects were taken on Linaria canadensis (toad-flax), a 

 ruderal plant. A common and generally distributed species. 



Buschistus variolarius Beauv. October 8, April. 



One of the commonest and most generally distributed pentatoni- 

 ids. Found in bunch-grass on Kuhnia in the fall ; under boards in 

 spring. Devil's Hole and Devil's Neck. It is a plant feeder. 



Hymenarcys nervosa Say. April 4. 



Taken in bunch-grass on a dune southeast of Havana, under a 

 board. Probably a predaceous species. Ranges from the plains 

 region to the Atlantic border. A species of open areas and forest 

 margins. 



Pentatonia persimilis Horvath ( juniperina Van Duzee). October 8, 

 April I, 4, 9- 

 This is the characteristic pentatomid of the sands in Illinois. Its 

 distribution is principally northern, and in the Lake Michigan sand 

 regions it is associated with the dwarf cedar (Juiiipcnis sabina), a 

 northern plant. It has been recorded from two localities in Colo- 

 rado, however, and other species of the same genus are found in the 

 West and Southwest, so that the genus is typically of western distri- 

 bution. It is a plant feeder, and is associated most closely with 

 Opuntia rafincsquii. Hart says it punctures the tip of the fruit. It 



