212 AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY. 



Family XXXII. < 



The Coreidae is one of the most extensive of the families of 

 Heteroptera ; and the members of it vary greatly in form. Some 

 of the species are among the most formidable in appearance of all 

 of our Heteroptera ; while others are comparatively weak and in- 

 conspicuous. The family is characterized as follows : The antennae 

 are inserted above an ideal line extending from the eye to the base 

 of the rostrum, and are four-jointed ; the vertex is not transversely 

 impressed ; the ocelli are present ; the rostrum is four-jointed ; the 

 scutellum is small or of medium size ; the wing-covers are usually 

 complete, and composed of clavus, corium, and 

 membrane ; the membrane is furnished with many 

 veins, which spring from a transverse basal vein, 

 FIG. 182. an d are usually forked (Fig. 182); the tarsi are 

 XiSwJSS. three-jointed. 



This family contains both vegetable feeders and 

 carnivorous forms ; in some cases the same species will feed upon 

 both insects and plants. 



The most common and best known species is 

 the Squash-bug, Anasa tristis. The form of the 

 body of the adult insect is represented in Fig. 

 183. In this stage the insect appears blackish- 

 brown above and dirty-yellow beneath. The 

 ground color is really ochre-yellow, darkened by 

 numerous minute black punctures. Upon the 

 head are two longitudinal black stripes; the lat- FlG j83 _ Anasa 

 eral margins of the prothorax are yellow, owing 

 to the absence along a narrow space of the punc- 

 tures ; and the margin of the abdomen is spotted with yellow from 

 a similar cause ; the membrane of the wing-covers is black. 



This species winters in the adult state. In early summer it lays 

 its eggs in little patches on the young leaves of squash and allied 

 plants. The young bugs are short and more rounded than the 

 adult insects. There are several generations of this species each 

 year. 



This is one of the most annoying of the many pests of the 

 kitchen-garden. The most satisfactory way yet devised for pre- 

 venting its ravages is to protect the young plants by means of 



* CorSidae, Coreus : probably from coris (/copzS), bug. 



