77° CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [BuU. 



land, 7, 12, 13 Aug., 1913, 15 May, 1914 (B. H. W.) ; Litchfield, i Sept., 

 1914 (L. B. W.) ; Union, 26 May, 1916 (M. P. Z.) ; Kent, 10 Aug., 1918 

 (K. F. C.) ;, Granby, 3 Aug., 1919 (M. P. Z.) ; Colebrook, 19 June, 1920 

 (P. G.). 



Elasmostethus Fieber. 



This genus may be distinguished from the preceding by the 

 simple pronotal angles and long narrow orificial canal. One 

 species has been found in New England. 

 C. cruciatus (Say). (PI. xviii, 21.) 



Het. New Harm., 2, 183 1. 



Yellowish brown, shining, with coarse dark punctation ; base of 

 pronotum and scutellum, clavus, and inner margin of corium, and 

 apex of abdomen, reddish. Length lo-ii mm. 



Very rare in the southern parts of New England, common in the 

 north, sometimes taken on the alder. 



Eastford, 15 June, 1916 (W. E. B.). 



Subfamily Asopinae. 



The species of this group have the rostrum inserted close to 

 apex of tylus, the first segment strongly thickened and not 

 embedded between the bucculae, which are small and convergent 

 posteriorly; first antenna! segment in general very short; male 

 genital plate reduced in size, not covering the copulatory apparatus. 

 The nymphs are often of bright blue and red coloration even when 

 the adults are of a uniform dull brown. This subfamily differs in 

 habit from most of the other Pentatomidae, the species being car- 

 nivorous and very voracious. Their activities are very beneficial to 

 man, as many of the species attack such injurious forms as the 

 potato beetle and various Lepidopterous larvae such as the gipsy 

 and brown-tail caterpillars. The nymphs in earlier stages require 

 vegetable food, becoming exclusively carnivorous in the last instar. 



Key to Genera. 



1. Anterior femora armed with a spine or prominent tubercle near 



apex 2 



Anterior femora unarmed 3 



2. Scutellum large, broad, extending almost or quite to apex of abdo- 



men Stiretrus 



Scutellum moderate in size, narrowed apically Perillus 



3. Base of abdomen without ventral spine 4 



Base of abdomen with ventral spine or tubercle 5 



4. Tibiae sulcate above; lateral pronotal margins crenulate anteriorly 



Rhacognathus 

 Tibiae not sulcate ; pronotal margins entire Zicrona 



5. Frena extending beyond middle of scutellum; bucculae slightly 



elevated, gradually decreasing in height posteriorly 6 



Frena extending to middle of scutellum ; bucculae strongly ele- 

 vated, not decreasing posteriorly Mineus 



6. Tylus generally shorter than juga; male with abdominal stridula-^ 



tory areas ; larger species Apateticus 



Tylus as long as juga ; areas absent ; smaller species Podisus 



