THE STATK KNTOMOLOOIST. 



19 



^I 



[Ki--. <;.] potato gTOwer is a prettily marke*! insect — a genuine 



Eug — belonging to the same extensive group (^Scuttel- 



lera family) of the true Bugs (Heteroptera) as the Spined 



^-^^X^'^ '^ /'lli'^'''''MK I Soldier-bug, which is now so well known for its etRciency 



n A^^Mmln^i ^^ thinning out the ranks of our potato pest, and which 



was illustrated in nw first Report (Fig. 54). 



The Eing-banded Soldier-bug (Perillus circumcinc- 

 /ws,Stal.) which is illustrated at Figure 5 (b showing an enlarged view of its 

 antenna and c of the beak with which it sucks the juices of its prej^), is of 

 a rich jiolished brown color, marked as in the figure, with pale yellow. 

 Underneath, on the venter, there is a large yellow patch containing four 

 black spots quadrangularl}- arranged, and there is a border of yellow extend- 

 ing around the edge of the whole body. 'It is a not uncommon species in 

 Missouri, and was found by Mr. Eeed, of London, Ontario, preying 

 voraciously upon 2)otato bugs. 



These three species are so conspicuously marked that they can be easily 

 recognized. Wherever found let them be kindly dealt with ! 

 The fourth species to be added m&j be pojDularly known as 



The Dotted-legged Plant-bug. — This insect (Euschistus punctipes, Say, 

 Fig. 7) is minutely speckled and of an 

 ochre-yellow color, and so closely re- , 

 sembles the Spined Soldier-bug that I 

 reproduce the illustration (Fig. 8) ot 

 this last to contrast with it. Ttie most 

 obvious features whereby to distin- 

 guish these two insects are those fur- 

 nished by the figures, namely, the more flattened form of the Soldier-bug 

 (Fig. 8) and especially of its stpiarish head, compared to the Plant-bug (Fig. 

 7); and the sharp-jiointed thorax of the former compared to the more round- 

 ed thorax of the latter. This last character is variable, in both, so that spec- 

 imens of the former occur with the thorax rounded, and of the latter with 

 it more pointed; but there are two other structural differences which are al- 

 ways constant and can alwa^'s be relied on to distinguish the two insects. If 

 the Spined Soldier-bug be examined underneath, its beali (Fig. 8, a) will be 

 found to be quite stout, especially at the base, and between the hind legs at 

 the base of the venter, a prominent tooth pointing towards the head will 

 be noticed. This last feature is entirely absent in the Plant-bug; while the 

 more slender beak (Fig. 6, c) of the latter, the average larger size, the 

 black-dotted legs, and the absence of the opaque l)rown streak at the trans- 

 parent and glassy tip of the wing-cases, or hemelytra, combine to distin- 

 guish it still further from its more ferocious simile. 



The Dotted-legged Plant-bug has heretofore been considered a purely 

 vegetable feeder, and its being caught partaking of moi-e carnivorous food 

 must be considered exceptional. It is however an interesting fact, entomo- 

 logically considered, and shows that the carnivorous is not so widely sepa- 

 rated from the herbivorous habit as we are wont to suppose. Many other 



