98 REPORT 4, UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



cases in rearing the motlis. Fodisus spinosus was never observed suck- 

 ing the cotton bolls -, but P. imnctipes was frequently caught in the act. 

 The bugs, however, are so closely related that their habits are probably 

 similar. 



The eggs of P. spinosus (Fig. 18c) are bronze-colored, caldron-shaped 

 objects, with a convex lid, around which radiate fifteen or sixteen white 

 spines. They are attached side by side, in clusters of a dozen or more, 

 to leaves and other objects, and are very subject to the attacks of a 

 Proctotrupid iiarasite of the genus Telenomus. The young bug is ovoid, 

 shiny black, with some bright crimson about the abdomen. In the full- 

 grown larva (Fig. ISh) four yellowish si^ots appear on the thorax, and 

 the abdomen becomes more yellowish. In the so-called pupa, distin- 

 guished by wing-pads, the ocher-yellow extends still more, and in the 

 perfect insect the black entirely disappears. In the immature stages 

 the shoulders are rounded, not pointed. The antennae are four-jointed 

 instead of five-jointed as in the adult, and the feet or tarsi have but two 

 joints instead of three. 



The diet of the young seems to be principally vegetarian, but we 

 have mentioned (Fourth Eep., Ins. Mo., p. 20) instances where ihe 

 larva has often been seen to destroy larvse of the Colorado Potato- 

 beetle four or five times-its own size. 



The thick-thighed Metapodius (M. femorata, Say, Fig. 22), wbich in 

 the first edition was placed in the list of probable enemies, has since 

 been observed in the act of destro3ing full-grown worms. It has also, 

 however, been seen to pierce and jsuck bolls. 



Much more effective than the larger IIeteroi)tera were two small spe- 

 cies, both extremely abundant on cotton near Selma, and very fre- 

 quently observed attacking Aletia. The one is Triphleps insidiosus, 

 which, with its larva, may be considered as a special destroyer of Ale- 

 tia eggs. It was very often found with its beak inserted in the eggs, 

 busily engaged in sucking out the contents. The empty eggs, with the 

 hole plainly observable, were also frequently met with. It was also 

 often met with in large numbers in half-empty pupae, which it had possi- 

 bly killed ; but it has not been seen to attack the worms. Another 

 species was often seen sucking worms of all sizes and also pupse, and 

 even on one occasion a moth was attacked just as it was coming forth 

 from its pupa- skin. 



The following species, commonly found in cotton fields, but not yet 

 actually observed to feed on the worms, may safely be 

 regarded as having the habit, while several others might 

 be added, some of which combine the carnivorous with 

 the i^lant-feeding trait; Stlretrus fimhriatus (Say) (see 

 Fig. 23), var. c?ia?ja(Fabr.), Uuscfmtus punctipes {Saj), JEJ. 

 tristigmus (Say), Thyanta custator (Fabr.), Evagoras 

 YiG^ 23. —stiretrus viHdis Uhlcr, McrocoHs disUnctus Dall., Anasa armigera 

 £ie?.f "*• ^^^''' Say, and Nezara pensylvanica De G. 



