SCUTELLEROIDEA OF IOWA 29 
black and sparsely punctate; outer part of corium yellowish or yellowish 
white with small, scattered brownish punctures; pale margin of corium be- 
coming markedly wider at base where it crosses the subcostal nervure; 
membrane milk-white. Venter bronzed black, convex, highly polished, 
sparsely punctate on disk, the number of punctures rapidly increasing 
towards the sides where the punctuation is very dense; usually the margin 
of all the segments back of the yellowish portion of the corium, the genital 
segment included, is pale yellowish to reddish yellow. Ostiolar area much 
expanded distally, roughened and not shiny; the opening itself is pro- 
longed into a narrow, raised and shiny groove bent a little forward near the 
tip. Legs black, paler at the knees; tarsi reddish brown, the distal portion 
of the apical segment darker; tibiae furnished with fine spines arranged in 
rows. Length, 2.5-3.0 mm. Width across pronotum, 2.0 mm. 
This is our smallest, most abundant and easiest recognized 
thyreocorid. It is subject to some variation in size, in width of 
pale margin of the corium and in the depth of color of this mar 
gin. It is our only species in which the pale margin of the 
corium is expanded at the base to cross the subcostal vein. The 
eolor of this margin may vary from almost white to hght orange. 
Localities in which this form has been secured are as follows: 
Ames, Anamosa, Boone, Chariton, Corning, Corydon, Des 
Moines, Eldora, Glenwood, Grinnell, Homestead, Indianola, Iowa 
City, Lake Okoboji, Shenandoah, Solon and Webster City. In 
fact almost any truck patch anywhere in the state should yield 
numbers of this species, particularly if it be located in a more or 
less moist situation. Uhler says of the distrubution of this species 
(l. c.), ‘‘distributed over the whole length of Atlantic North 
America from Quebec to Florida, and westward to Louisiana and 
Texas.’’ 
On account of its feeding habits and its great numbers at cer- 
tain favorable seasons this insect is liable to become a pest in 
‘some localities and damage has been noted and reported from 
time to time. Osborn recorded the species as ‘‘ Abundant. 
Sometimes destructive to plants and often troublesome on rasp- 
berries on account of its offensive odor.’’ (Proc. Ia. Acad. Sci., 
Heeb, be 120° 1892). 
On the horticultural experiment plots at Ames in June and 
July, 1913 7. pulicarius was found in abundance on potatoes. 
An experiment with twenty of these bugs on a potato plant in 
the insectary showed that the feeding punctures made by the 
insects caused the leaves to wilt and drop. The bugs seemed to 
