THE STINK-BUGS AND THEIR ALLIES 



— Murgantia histrionica. 

 (After Riley.) 



(Family Pentatomidce.) 



In this large family of bugs, which comprises nearly four 

 thousand species, of which about three hundred inhabit the 

 United States, we find a curious difference in habit in that while 



some of them are exclusively 

 plant feeders others feed both 

 upon plants and upon other 

 insects. This differentiation 

 in habit corresponds in a 

 measure with the subfamily 

 grouping. As a rule these 

 insects are flat and broad, and 

 the antennae are five-jointed. 

 The scutellum is enlarged and 

 in some (the Scutellerinse) 

 covers the whole abdomen. 

 Many species possess an extremely bad odor and taste, which 

 has led Comstock to term the group "the stink-bug family." 

 Very many well- 

 known and common 

 insects belong to this 

 group. The harle- 

 quin cabbage bug 

 (Murgantia histrion- 

 ica Hahn.) is a well- 

 known species in cab- 

 bage fields south of 

 New Jersey. It is a 

 serious enemy to cru- 

 ciferous vegetables. 

 In parts of Georgia it is still known as the "Abe Lincoln bug," 

 and in Texas as the "third-party bug." The eggs are very 



3^3 



,4- 



Fig. 208. — Euschistus varlolarius. 

 (Author's illustration.) 



