7l8 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [BulL 



Ischnodemus Fieber. 



I. falicus (Say). 



Het New Harm., 15, 1832. 



This is the only one of the seven known United States species 

 occurring in the northern states where it is commonly referred to 

 as the False Chinch Bug. It is easily recognized "by its elongate, 

 narrow, depressed form. Measures some 5-6 mm. long. The 

 hemelytra are generally abbreviated. 



It is commonly swept from various wild grasses in low ground. 



Orange, 21 May, 191 1 (B. H. W.). 



Blissus Burmeister. 



B. leucopterus (Say). Chinch bug. 



Het. New Harm., 14, 1832. 



Measures about 3.5 mm. long. The milky white corium and 

 membrane, with the usually conspicuous black apical angle of the 

 former, distinguishes this species. The piceous or black head, pro- 

 notum, scutellum and venter as well as the castaneous legs are 

 quite hairy in the New England specimens. In the typical race of 

 this region the apical one-third of the second, all of the third and 

 fourth segments of the antennae are piceous, the remainder pale. 



A number of races are now known of which B. leucopterus hir- 

 tus Montandon is the common one in the northeastern states. 

 Along the sandy stretches adjacent to the coast occurs B. leucop- 

 terus arenarius Barber. 



B. leucopterus, commonly known as the Chinch Bug, is a serious 

 pest of grains in the western states but seldom injurious in New 

 England, where according to Webster it is single-brooded. 



New Haven, 11 Aug., 1908, 13 May, 191 1 (B. H. W.) ; 25 May, 191 1 

 (A. B. C.) ; 19 May, 1920 (P. G.) ; Orange, 21 May, 1911 (B. H. W.) ; 

 South Meriden, 15 Apr., 1914 (H. L. J.) ; Stamford, 13 Aug., 1891 

 (A. P. M., H. M. P.) ; Hartford, 22 Sept., 1922 (G. H. H.). 



Subfamily Geocorinae. 



Key to Genera. 



1. Head extended laterally, eyes obviously stalked; inner margins of 



eyes strongly converging throughout ; not in contact with anterior 

 lateral margins of pronotum. First segment of rostrum shorter 

 than second or subequal to it. Ocelli commonly placed midway 

 between inner margin of eye and middle of vertex. Head smooth, 

 impunctate Hypogeocoris 



2. Eyes not so obviously stalked and commonly contiguous to anterior 



lateral margins of pronotum; inner margins, at least anteriorly, 

 more commonly sub-parallel. Head commonly more or less punc- 

 tate or rugulose. Ocelli in most cases placed closer to inner 

 margin of eyes than to middle point of vertex. First segment of 

 rostrum longer than second Geocoris 



