COREID.E. 331 



Family COREID^. 



This family, though of considerable extent, is much smaller than 

 the Pentatomidse, and, according to a rough estimate of the known 

 species from all parts of the world, is only about half its size. 

 The CoreidsB have a very distinct facies from the Pentatomidse, and 

 closely resemble both in form and position the Lougicoruia amongst 

 the Coleoptera. As a rule they are duU-coloui^ed insects, but many 

 genera exhibit extraordinary dilatations of the antennae and tibiae; 

 of the present uses of this dilatation, if any, we are without 

 knowledge. 



The family was for a long time known under the term Superi- 

 cornia, which was an adaptation made by Dallas of the name 

 Supericorncs of Amyot and Serville. 



Modern writers are practically unanimous in using the term 

 Coreidae as proposed by West wood in 1839. The principal 

 structural characters of the Coreidae are as follows : — 



Head neither clypeated nor transversely impressed before the 

 eyes ; the antennae four-jointed, inserted on the upperside of the 

 head, above a line drawn from the eyes to the base of the rostrum ; 

 ocelli present; rostrum of four joints. Scutellum small, not 

 reaching the middle of the body nor the base of the membrane. 



Considerable difference of opinion has been exhibited by 

 different writers in the classification of this family. This has 

 occurred with St§,l himself, whose matured views as given in 1873 

 are here followed. Four subfamilies are recognized, which are 

 capable of divisional arrangement as in the Pentatomid ae, though 

 these divisions have been raised to the rank of subfamilies by 

 Lethierry and Severin in their ' Catalogue Greneral des Hemi- 

 ptrres ' — a course we are unable to follow. 



Synoj/sis of Subfamilies. 



A. Odoriferous orifices distinct, rarely * obsolete 



or indistinguishable ; dorsal surface of fourth 



and fifth abdominal segments at bases 



medially sinuate. 



a. Bucculae generally long and extending to 



near insertion of antennae ; pronotum pos- 



tex'iorly usually three times or more than 



twice the breadth of head ; dorsal surface 



of first abdominal segment posteriorly 



truncated ; scutellum reaching or passing 



base of metanotum, generally broader than 



head between eyes. 



* In Eufhefus. 



