THE CONCHUELA. 25 



locality in Texas from which the writer has seen a specimen of the 

 species. West of the ninety-eighth degree of longitude specimens 

 have been collected at the following points and elevations in the 

 State of Texas: San Diego, 300 feet; Abilene, 1,700 feet; Barstow, 

 2,500 feet; Llano, 1,000 feet; San Angelo, 1,800 feet; San Antonio, 

 675 feet; Clarendon, 2,700 feet. The known Mexican locahties 

 where the species has been collected, with their elevations, are: San 

 Pedro de la Colonia, Coahuila, 3,600 feet; Tlahualilo, Durango, 3,700 

 feet. 



FOOD PLANTS. 



Like most other plant-feeding Pentatomids whose habits are 

 known, the conchuela has a wide range of food plants and shows a 

 decided preference for fruits and seeds. In Texas and Mexico its 

 principal food in uncultivated regions is the bean of the mesquite 

 {Prosopis sp.) and the berry of a common wild solanum (Solanum 

 elseagnifolium) , known among the natives of Mexico as 'Hrompillo." 

 Of these two the former seems to be preferred according to observa- 

 tions in northern Mexico where the two food plants grow together on 

 the arid plateaus. Records of other wild food plants of the species, 

 with the observer and locahty, are as follows: Spanish bayonet or 

 bear grass (Yucca sp.), Barstow, Tex., J. C. Crawford; wild currant 

 (Rihes sp.), San Antonio, Tex., W. E. Hinds and J. C. Crawford; 

 sage. Clarendon, Tex., W. D. Pierce. Records of cultivated food 

 plants, wdth the observer and locahty, are as follows: Cotton, 

 alfalfa, grapes, corn, chilli pepper, and tomato, Tlahualilo, Durango, 

 Mexico, A. W. Morrill; peaches, Barstow, Tex., J. C. Crawford; cot- 

 ton, grapes, Milo maize, sorghum, alfalfa, peas, tomato, Barstow, 

 Tex., Crawford and Morrill. The fact that in 1905, at Barstow, 

 Tex., the conchuela attacked several of these crops in sufficient 

 numbers to cause considerable damage has been referred to under 

 the subject of the history of the species. The range of food plants 

 which has been recorded points to the likelihood that this insect may 

 use as a food plant almost any of our cultivated grains, fruits, and 

 vegetables which circumstances ma}^ place in the way. 



DESCRIPTION. 



ADULTS . 



■ (PL I, fig. 1; text fig. 1.) 



This species belongs to the subgenus Chlorochra Stal, and in com- 

 mon with certain other members of this group exhibits a wide varia- 

 tion in color. The general color is usually dull olivaceous, frequently 

 either grayish, pinkish, purplish, or greenish, and occasionally black 

 or brown. The punctures are black or dark gray. The species is 

 most strikingly characterized by its general dark color, with the 



