Deraeoioris (Heteroptera. Miridae) 195 



dex to the conditions of environment under which the bug developed. 

 The distribution of ruber in North America would indicate that 

 the species had been introduced from Europe through the agencies of 

 man. Uhler (1886) recorded ruber as occurring in the "N. St." The 

 oldest specimen that the writer has seen was captured by Mr. \A'm. T. 

 Davis on Staten Island, £ July 10, 1888, taken on red raspberry. Mr. 

 Davis also took several specimens on roses, July 14, 1912, in Brook- 

 lyn, New York. Their presence on rose bushes could doubtless be 

 explained by the predaceous habits of the bugs in feeding on plant 

 lice. Puton (1876) records ruber as predaceous, — "detruit les pucer- 

 ons." Douglas (1895) gives some observations on the manner in 

 which ruber fed upon a "pale green aphid." 



