428 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



toward the lateral margin. Abdomen brick red, bordered with 

 heavy black line. At the middle of the lateral margin of each 

 segment there is a well-defined semi-elliptical yellowish-brown 

 spot, bordered with black. There are four more or less confluent, 

 transverse dark-brown spots on the dorsum. Under-surface of 

 head and thorax amber colored ; color of abdomen somewhat 

 lighter than that of the upper-surface. Antennae four-jointed, 

 black ; first segment stout, partially retracted beneath the edge of 

 the head ; second segment slightly flattened, widened toward its 

 outer end and four times as long as the first ; third and fourth 

 segments of nearly equal length, the latter being constricted at 

 each end. Femora amber colored ; tibiae with three equidistant 

 longitudinal ridges, pale brown and sparsely hairy ; tarsi two- 

 jointed, dark brown and hairy. 



From the late appearance of the nymphs, it is probable 

 that the species has but one annual brood in this region. 

 Both nymphs and imagoes are rapacious feeders, their stout 

 beak being a very formidable weapon. The insect attacked 

 is impaled by a sudden thrust of the setas, which hold it 

 firmly, and in a few minutes the body fluids are sucked out. 

 In killing large insects the setae are sometimes wrested from 

 the rostrum, but are readil}'^ replaced by the bug. The setae 

 can be moved by muscles at their base independent of the 

 rostrum, and are armed with formidable reflexed spines. 



The records of insects destroyed by this species include 

 Diajpheromera femorata Say (Riley, Rep. U. S. Dep. Agr., 

 1878, p. 245), Podisus serieventris Uhl. (Kirkland, "The 

 Gypsy Moth," Forbush-Fernald, 1896, p. 402), DorypJiora 

 decem-Uneata Say (Glover, Ent. Index, 1877, p. 8), Porthe- 

 tria dispar Linn. (Fernald, Rep. Mass. State Bd. Agr., 1894, 

 p. 260), Aletia argiUacea Hbn. (Riley, Fourth Rep. U. S. 

 Ent. Com., 1885, p. 97), Pteronus ribesii Scop. (Lintner, 

 Can. Ent., 1884, p. 182). 



