INSECTS Airt;cTiN(; iwrk and woodi.axd tuees 



6ii 



Euschistus variolarius Riauv. 

 This is a rather stout, rctklish or ycUowish <;ray plant bug about li 

 inch lony-, with the lunneral an'^les somewhat prominent. It was found by 

 us ([uile common on white pines at Round Lake X. ^ .. Sep. 22, 1902, at 

 which time it apj^eared to be deeply interested in the wel) nests of an 

 undetermined tortricid on the larvae of which it i)robal)ly ft'eds to a consid- 

 erable e.\tent. We have taken this insect at Karner during; the months of 

 May, early J urn-, .SeiJtember and October, and Mr Hueno records its occur- 

 rence about New York city durini,^ Jmie, July, Au,L,nist and September. It 

 has been listed from .Siaten Island b\- I )r Smith. It is 

 very |)robable that this species, liki: somc> of its congen- 

 ers, feeds in its early stages on plants to some extent 

 and becomes predaceous and therefore benehcial after 

 attaining some size. It is interesting in this connection 

 to note that Mr V . V . Crevccouer of Onaga Kan., states 

 that the lluid exuded by this species caused a very ])ain- 

 ful sensation on a sore spot on his finger, being almost 

 like that of a burn. Ihe active character of this lluid 



Fig. 164 K us c li i St u s V a r io- 



has Ijcen obserx't^d 1)\' others, and Mr \'oung states that 1 arm.., enlarged (original) 

 in the case of the common Cosmopepla cam if ex b'abr., its exuda- 

 tion burns the temler portion of the lip much as described abo\'e. 



This species, according to I hler, occurs in CoIf)railo, Texas and gen- 

 erally throughout the eastern Initetl .States. It has been recorded by 

 Osborn from AlbiKjuerquc; X. M., and Colorado, by Town.send from 

 sovithern .Michigan, by ("illlette and Haker as jJrescMit in a number of locali- 

 ties in Colorado ami from the \icinitv of Woods I loll Mass. In T. H. 

 Montgomery jr. 



I his species e\ identh' occurs on \arious plants, which an- injured to 

 some extent. It has been recorded about raspberry bushes (the fruit of 

 which it injures seriously) in gardens by Townseiid, and on melon stalks 

 from July to September. Professor Webster reports it as puncturing the 



