Ill 



but which deserves attention as the near relative of one of the most 

 injurious horticultural species (the tarnished plant bug), and also 

 because, from its own abundance and habits, it may well become 

 the author of serious mischief. 



Although not agreeing precisely with any descriptions of Capsidae 

 accessible to me, I have little doubt, after careful study of about 

 forty specimens collected in June, that the species is that described 

 by Say as Capsus invltus. It differs materially from Say's original 

 descriptions, but corresponds closely in most particulars with the 

 description of a type specimen of Say's, published by Uhler in his 

 notes on the Heteroptera in the collection of Dr. Harris,* varying 

 from that only in some color characters of little moment in so vari- 

 able a genus. 



DESCRIPTION. 



The following description is condensed from that of Uhler, modi- 

 fied with respect to color to conform to our own specimens. 



General color pale obscure yellow, varying to yellowish green. 

 Antennae and transverse carina at base of head very slender, the 

 former nearly as long as the hemelytra. Surface of head polished, 

 impunctured, clothed with short hairs, Tylus slender, short. Eyes 

 large, prominent. Pronotum smooth, very convex, sparingly hairy, 

 finely, densely and mostly confiuently punctured, the punctures 

 forming obscure transverse rugosities. The head and fore part of 

 the thorax are sliglitly darker yellow, the antennae are sometimes 

 pale throughout, sometimes embrowned at tip and also at tip of 

 second joint. A broad band on the pronotum, a little within the 

 margin, extends backwards along the inner edge of the clavus,.is 

 continued as a dusky shade through the middle of the membrane, 

 deepest along the inner edge of the inner cell, and extends distally 

 into an indefinite dusky shade. This line is intersected at the tip 

 of the corium by a transverse band of the same color extending to 

 the edge of the hemelytra. When the wings are closed, these marks 

 give the appearance of a median black stripe crossed at the tip of 

 the corium by a black band, and forking at the scutellum. In the 

 darker colored specimens the pronotal bands are frequenlly con- 

 nected by a basal shade. The posterior half of the larger cell of 

 the membrane is usually white. In many yellowish specimens the 

 cuneus alone is green. The posterior thighs are commonly infuscate 

 on the distal half, and the anterior tibiae are often brown at tip. 

 Length to tip of hemelytra 6 mm. Humeral breadth 1.6() mm. 



On the l"2th May the younger leaves of many of the common soft 

 maples (Acer dasi/carpum) near Normal, were observed to be curled, 

 and specked with numerous semi-transparent spots, evidently the 

 work of the larvae of this capsid, found abundantly upon the affected 

 leaves. On the 30th May, specimens collected were all of the second 

 and third stages. On the 1st June, the first imagos were ^een 

 in the breeding cages and on the trees. By the 5th of that month 

 nearly all the specimens collected had transformed to the imago, and 

 the experiment was not carried farther. 



* Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. XIX, p. 407. 



