is often abundant on young yellow birch. Other hosts include 
white birch, beech, eastern hophornbeam, willow, mountain-ash, 
and maple. C. pergandei Heidemann feeds principally on alder; 
also occasionally on hazel, elm, and birch. C. pruni O. & D. 
(—pyriformis Parsh.) feeds on wild cherry; C. juglandis (Fitch) 
on black walnut, butternut, and linden; C. elegans Drake on wil- 
low, balsam poplar, quaking aspen, and bigtooth aspen; C. aescult 
O. & D. on buckeye; C. associata O. & D. on wild cherry; C. bellula 
Gibson on hawthorn; and the hawthorn lace bug, C. cydoniae 
Fitch, on hawthorn and pyracantha. 
The rhododendron lace bug, Stephanitis rhododendri Harv., an 
introduced species, occurs from New England to North Carolina 
and Ohio, and infests rhododendron, mountain-laurel, and azalea. 
The adult is about 4 mm. long, and has a triangular hood and 
long, slender antennae. Its wings are rounded at the apex and are 
nearly twice as long as the abdomen. Winter is spent in the egg 
stage and there are at least two generations per year. Rhododen- 
dron plants infested continuously for several ae turn yellow 
and lose their attractiveness. 
The azalea lace bug, Stephanitis pyrioides (Scott), resembles S. 
rhododendri except for its duskier wings. It feeds on azalea, pre- 
ferably the evergreen varieties. The leaves of heavily infested 
plants become almost white and many of them dry out completely 
and drop. There may be three generations per year. 
The basswood lace bug, Gargaphia tiliae (Walsh), often occurs 
in large numbers on the undersides of the leaves of basswood. 
Adults overwinter either under leaves on the ground or in bark 
crevices. There are two generations per year. 
FAMILY REDUVIIDAE 
ASSASSIN BUGS 
Most species of assassin bugs are predacious on other insects. 
Others are blood-sucking and frequently bite man. Many species 
are capable of inflicting painful bites and will do so if carelessly 
handled. Most species are found on various parts of plants, but a 
few are found on the ground or under objects on or near the 
ground. Adults are varicolored, usually black, brownish, green, 
or orange. They range greatly in size, some being well over 25 
mm. long. The head is long, narrow, and cylindrical with the part 
behind the eyes necklike. The head bears a stout, rigid, three- 
jointed beak which usually curves downward in the form of a 
semi-loop, with the tip resting in a groove in front of and between 
the front legs. The margins of the abdomen are often exposed 
beyond the edges of the wings. 
The wheel bug, Avilus cristatus (L.), is an important predator of 
various forest insects. As a young nymph it feeds on aphids; 
later, it attacks lepidopterous larvae such as the fall webworm, 
and other insects such as the locust borer. The adult is a large, 
striking insect, with coglike teeth projecting from a median, 
longitudinal ridge on the thorax. The female is much larger than 
the male and may reach a length of 30 mm. 
Other species attacking forest insects include: (a) Sinea spi- 
nipes (H.-S.) which feeds on the fall webworm in the South; (b) 
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