SCUTELLEROIDEA OF IOWA 99 
thoracic plates coarsely but fairly regularly punctured with black; a large 
quadrate biack spot on either side of the median line just behind anterior 
coxae. Legs pale yellow, thickly dotted with black and with irregular 
brownish maculations on the femora; apex of tibiae and apical tarsal seg- 
ments brownish. Length, 12.0-14.0 mm. Width across pronotum, 6.0-7.5 
mm. 
The broadly ovate form, the explanate pronotal margins, the 
anastomosing venation of the wing membrane and the long, 
slender rostrum will at once serve to distinguish this peculiar 
pentatomid from any other in our fauna. 
Of the twenty-three specimens at hand, all of which are from 
Iowa City, all but four have been taken in November. Not a 
single specimen has been taken in sweeping. One of the four 
specimens is a hibernating form taken May 11; a half grown 
nymph was taken September 24 and the other two specimens 
were taken October 24. Most of the specimens have been found 
under hickory or elm leaves in wooded or semi-wooded districts. 
In the east the species is said to be predaceous on the larvae of 
the gypsy moth (Porthetria dispar Linn.). 
Osborn recorded Menecles insertus as ‘‘rare’’ in Iowa with 
‘‘Ames’’ as the only definite locality record. 
‘ 
Genus PRIONOSOMA Uhler 
1863. Prionosoma Uhler, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., I], 368. 
This is a small genus erected by Uhler to contain a single 
North American form described by him from California. The 
ehief diagnostic characters include the following: 
Form elongate ovate. Body pilose, the pilosity longest on head and 
pronotum; dorsal surface with coarse, black, irregularly disposed punc- 
tures. Head long, narrow, the sides sinuate in front of eyes; juga rounded 
at apex, a littie longer than tylus but not approaching before it. Rostrum 
short, very hairy, extending only a little behind midcoxae. Pronotum 
convex, broader than long, the lateral margins distinctly sinuate and with 
2 prominent tubercie at the anterior angles; a prominent process slightly 
bent posterioriy at the lateral angles. Apex of corium emarginate at about 
the middie, the lateral angie distinct; veins of membrane irregularly 
furcate, sometimes anastomosing. Ostiolar canal searcely continued in a 
sulcus. ternum grceoved to receive rostrum. Tuibiae not suleate, the 
anterior ones prismatic with a small spine on inner face. 
In some of its characters this genus closely resembles Tricho- 
pepla Stal. Both have the pilosity but it is longer and coarser 
in Prionosoma. In the latter genus also the prominent processes 
