﻿STINK BUGS, GENUS MECIDEA — SAILER 499 



tera-Heteroptera) in the collection of the British Muaouin, pt. 3, p. 539, 1868. 

 Mecidea quadrivittata, StXl, Ofv. Vet. Akad. Forhandl., vol. 13, pt. 3, p. 57, 1856; 

 Hcmiptera Africana descripsit Carolus St&l, vol. 1, p. 133, 1865; Enum. 

 ITemip., vol. 5, p. 38, 1876. — Lethierry and Severin, Catalogue g(5n6ral 

 des H6miptferes, vol. 1, Hctdroptfcres, Pentatomidae, p. 92, 1893. — Kirkaldy, 

 A catalogue of the Hemiptera (Ileteroptera), vol, 1, Cimicidae, p. 202, 

 1909.— Jensen-Haarup, Ent. Meddel., vol. 14, pt. 1, pp. 7-9, 1922. 



This species is thought to be known only from Signoret's tj^pe 

 specimen, which was collected on the Island of Mauritius, Beyond 

 being 11 mm. long and a female specimen with a color pattern sug- 

 gestive of the darker specimens of Mecidea prolixa, Signoret's descrip- 

 tion reveals little that will serve to identify the species. Jensen- 

 Haarup appears to have reexamined the type specimen, for in his key 

 to the Ethiopian species of Mecidea he includes quadrivittata, and 

 remarks, "2nd joint of antennae much longer than 3rd," Unfortu- 

 nately this is not distinctive, since it is true of the female of most 

 species of Mecidea. 



The possibility that quadrinittata may be a synonym of M. linearis 

 is examined in the discussion under the latter species. 



Type. — Not seen. Believed to be in the Naturhistorische Museum, 

 Wien, 



MECIDEA RUNGSI Vidal 



Mecidea rungsi Vidal, Mem. Soc. Sci. Nat. Maroc, vol. 48, p. 118, 1949. 



Described by Vidal as being near Mecidea quadrivittatus. This, 

 together with his description of shape, color, and length of the second 

 and third segments of the antennae would indicate a close resemblance 

 between the two species; however, the body length shown for rungsi 

 is nearer that recorded for M. prolixa. 



The following salient characters are extracted from Vidal's descrip- 

 tion: 



Smaller than Mecidea pallida but of the same shape. Punctures on 

 scutellum and hemelytra much more noticeable than in M. straminea 

 and M. lepineyi (Vidal not Lindberg). Pronotum with sides feebly 

 sinuate, dorsum bearing four longitudinal bands of brown punctures, 

 the two median bands being scarcely visible. 



Antennae of the same shape as pallida. Comparative lengths of 

 segments 2, 3, 4, and 5 are 95: 40: 52: 45. The first three, covered with 

 spines, the base of each forming a rather large brown puncture. 



Scutellum with concolorus punctation and bearing a smooth median 

 longitudinal carina; the pronotum bears traces of this carina. Clavus 

 bordered with a brown line at the base along margin of scutellum. A 

 band of brown punctures on each side underneath body, leaving the 

 head, passing along the thorax and along the line of the abdominal 

 spiracles. 



Length: 9.7 mm. 



