278 FORTY-FIBST HePORT OJ^ THE StATB MWEUM. 



mon name of the ash-leaved maple. It is not, I believe, natfve to the State 

 of New York, but occurs southward and westward from Pennsylvania. 



Distribution. 



The three-striped Leptocoris — the only U. S. species of the genus — is a 

 western form, not occurring east of the Mississippi river. Its distribution, 

 according to Uhler, is Colorado, Arizona, California, Kansas, Missouri 

 and Mexico. It was observed by Prof. Uhler, at Canon City, Cal., on 

 August eleventh, at the roots of Cacti and Yuccas. It was found by 

 Dr. Packard on July twenty-second, at the American Eork Canon, Utah. 



Develops a Fondness for Fruit. 



The above was substantially communicated to tlno, Country Gentleman 

 for the issue of January 27, 1887 (see page 313 of this report). Since that 

 time, the insect has been publicly presented under a more serious aspect 

 than that of infesting shade trees — in that of a fruit depredator. As quite 

 an interesting addition to our knowledge of its habits, the following trans- 

 cription is made from Bulletin No. 12, of the Division of Entomology, U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, bearing date of 1886, and distributed in May, 

 1887. The figure given on the preceding page is from the same source. 



Leptocoris trwittata injuring apples. — This bug is quite a common 

 species and has been found in a great variety of situations. It is 

 characteristically a plant-feeder, but has never been known to occur 

 in such numbers as to do much damage to any cultivated crop. It has 

 been found in large flowers like magnolia, covered with pollen, and 

 occurs in summer on the stems and leaves of annual plants, which it prob- 

 ably punctures. In August of the present year, however, specimens were 

 sent to us by Mr. A. L. Siler, of Eanch, Kane county, Utah, as injuring 

 fruit at Kanab, the county seat of the same county. Mr. Siler's attention 

 was called to them by the postmaster, Mr. B. L. Young, who stated that 

 these insects were destroying their fruit crop, eating the fruit as fast as 

 it ripened. On one tree which Mr. Siler examined, and which bore apples 

 of a medium size, they were present in enormous numbers, and every 

 apple that he could see was covered with the bugs. They were stated to 

 have bred on the box-elder shade trees {Negunda aceroides). 



Whether the bug breeds, as above stated, on the box-elder, or simply 

 frequents it from some preference entertained for it — all the accounts 

 associating it with that tree, its designation in popular parlance, as "the 

 box-elder plant-bug," would be quite appropriate for it. 



Mantis Carolina Linnaeus. 



The Carolina Mantis. 

 (Ord. Okthopteka : Fam. Mantid^.) 



LiNN-SHJS: Syst. Nat., 12th edit., ii, 1756, p. 691, 



Fitch: in Amer. Quart. Journ. Agr.-Sci., vi, 1847, p. 146 (as Gi'yllus). 



Thomas: in Trans. 111. St. Agr. Soc v. p. 441. 



Glotee: in Kept. Comm. Agr. for 1866, p. 40 (habits, etc.); id. for 1874, p. 133-4 (descrip- 

 tion and habits). 



Walsh-Riley; in Amer. Entomol., i, 1868, p. .59 (habits and oviposition). 



Rilet: 1st Rept. Ins. Mo., 1869, pp. 169-171, figs. 94, 95 (general account) ; in 1st Rept. U. S. 

 Entomolog. Comm., 1878, p. 334 (eats locusts); in 4th Rept. id., 1885, p. 99, flg. 25 

 (eats cotton-worms). 



