PENTATOMID.E 



159 



Stink Bugs {Pentatomidce). — Stink bugs are rather broad 

 oval-shaped insects with four- or five-jointed antennte, the 

 wings lie flat and the membranous tip of the second pair 

 are uncovered. They have a rather large scutellum lying 

 between the bases of the wings. The characteristic odor of 

 the stink bugs is not confined to this particular family. A few 

 members of this family are of economic importance. The 

 green soldier bug is very destructive to peaches in the northern 

 part of the United States. The spined soldier bug {Podisus 



Fig. 115. — The spined soldier bug (Podisus maculiventris) : adult at left, 

 nymph at right; much enlarged. (Chittenden, Div. Ent., U. S. Dept. Ag.) 



inacuJivcvfris) is not very large and is characterized by very 

 distinct spines which project from the side of the body. 

 It is very distinctly a predaceous bug. It is credited with 

 killing the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle, and it also 

 feeds on caterpillars and other insects. On the whole it is 

 counted as being very beneficial. 



Tlie harlequin cabbage bug (Murgantia histrionira) is 

 one of the species common in the Southern States, and if it 

 becomes abundant is a very serious pest. Ohio is its northern 



