149 



knowing at that time the peculiarities of the coast region, I did 

 not observe it particularly. The winters of 1904-5 and 1905-6 

 were so dry that almost no Sida flowered at Leiahi, and 1906-7 

 was little better. Lately, however, Mr. Swezey kindly brought 

 me some empty egg-shells and 3 nymphs, so that I am able to 

 present some few remarks on them. This bug is undoubtedly 

 vegetarian. 



Ova are deposited in patches of 5 or more on the 

 underside of the leaf. The shape is more or less of the usual 

 Lygaeid-form. Pale bronzy-golden when empty, a little in- 

 fuseate at the dorsal constriction. There is no operculum, the 

 anterior dorsal part being simply split open and off at the 

 hatching. Reticulation microscopic, fine and rather super- 

 ficial. Micropyles opaque white, much as in Rhopalus. 



First nymphal instar. Whole body strongly furnished with 

 black and with white bristly hairs. Head greenish testaceous, 

 posteriorly piceous. Eyes red. Antennae, first segment green- 

 ish, the rest whitish, the second with a black ring near the apex, 

 fourth with several rings. Thorax varyingly piceous. Legs 

 whitish translucent, ringed with black. Abdomen pale green- 

 ish, tergites covered with white elongate papillae, blackly pili- 

 ferous; also with one red papilla and two black, medianly. 

 Orifices very small, blackringed, 



Geocoridae. 



The only Geocorid whose lifehistory is at all known is 

 Blissus leucopterus (^^). The ova are elongate oval, truncate 

 at the micropyle end, with 4 micropyles. They are laid among 

 the roots of grasses, about or below the surface of the ground. 

 I have not found the eggs of Nysius virdtor here, nor has Mr. 

 Froggatt succeeded in Australia. The lifehistories of Scolo- 

 postetJius pidus {^'^) and Stalagmostethus turcicus (^^) have 

 been partially worked out. Most Geocorids seem to be phyto* 

 phagous, but carnivorous forms are known. 



Bacterial diseases attack the members of this family, but 

 insect parasites seem rarer. 



(26) Webster 1898 Bull. U. S. Div. Ent. (2) XV, 1-82, figs. 1-19. 



(27) Mjoberg 1906 Z. Wiss. Insektenbiol II 142-3, fig. 10, 



(28) Townsend 1887 Ent. Amer. Ill 53-5. 



