﻿STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 487 



tera of North America, p. 5, 1886. — Van Duzee, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 

 vol. 30, pt. 1, p. 26, 1904 [erroneously reports longula as described from 

 Texas material]. — Barber, Sci. Bull. Mus. Brooklyn Inst. Arts Sci., vol. 1, 

 pt. 9, p. 257, 1906 (Texas record). ^Kirkaldy, A catalogue of the Ilemiptera 

 (Heteroptera), vol. 1, Cimicidae, p. 202, 1909 [Texas record]. — Banks, 

 Catalogue of the Nearctic Hemiptera-Heteroptera, p. 86, 1910. — Van Duzee, 

 Check list of the Hemiptera ... of America, north of Mexico, p. 4, 

 1916; Catalogue of the Hemiptera of North America, p. 29, 1917. — Torre- 

 BuENO, Ent. Amer., new ser., vol. 19, pt. 3, p. 201, 1939. — Froeschner, 

 Amer. Midi. Nat., vol. 25, pt. 1, pp. 128, 132, 1941.— Ruckes, Bull. Brooklyn 

 Ent. Soc, vol. 41, pt. 3, pp. 86-87, 1946. 



Very closely related to Mecidea 'pallida, in fact so closely related 

 that separatioji of females on the basis of structure may be uncertain, 

 if not impossible. However, the single male example of 'pallida avail- 

 able for study shows characters which, if sufficiently constant, should 

 serve to distinguish the species. These characters are the relative 

 length of the antennal segments and shape of structures pertaining to 

 the internal genitaha. The male specimen of 'pallida has the tliird 

 segment of the antennae 52 percent as long as the second, while the 

 third antennal segment of male major was in no instance found to 

 be less than 62 percent as long as the second. The average for 50 

 specimens was 75 percent. Among these specimens were four that 

 had the third segment subequal to the second. The male genitalia of 

 both species present a very similar appearance; liowever, the penial 

 plates of pallida are significantly broader and the concave areas on 

 their dorsal surfaces more pronounced. The blaciv spots below the 

 abdominal setigerous punctures are smaller on the three specimens of 

 pallida examined than is characteristic for major. 



Head, pronotum, and scutelium straw yellow. Eyes, punctures 

 on dorsum, and plem-ites of pronotmn just behind eyes, on anterior 

 lobe of pronotum each side midhne, on antenniferous tubercles and 

 side of head before eye, and on apices of jugae, rufescent to black. 

 Sockets of bristlelike hairs on antennae dark. Hemelytra pale vitreous, 

 corium with numerous rufescent punctures, exocorial vein pale, mem- 

 brane vitreous. Connexivum pale impunctate. Venter pale yellow 

 with reddish tint, impunctate except on lateral line along fh-st five 

 segments, these punctures usually darkened; black spot just below 

 setigerous punctures with greatest diameter equal to one-eighth length 

 of supporting segmient. Spiracles often darkened. 



Dorsal aspect as shown in figure 89. Rather elongate. Humeral 

 angles obtusely angulate, elevated. Lateral margins of pronotum 

 \\'ith edges calloused, almost carinate. 



Length: Males, 9.5-10.4; females, 10.0-12.7 mm. 



Width at humeral angles: Males, 2.6-3.1; females, 2.8-3.7 mm. 



Antemiae of male: Relative length of segments (holotype specimen) 

 40 :100 :75 :80 :65. First three segments as shown on plate 48, figure 33. 



969584—52 3 



