40 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 
A GENERIC SYNOPSIS OF THE NEARCTIG PENTA- 
TOMIDAE. 
BY H. E. SUMMERS. 
Practically the only keys for determining the genera of our 
Pentatomidee are those of Stdl. These cover only certain 
divisions of the family, and even in these divisions many 
recently established genera are not included. His works are, 
moreover, usually not accessible except to the special student 
of the Heteroptera, and even when accessible, the fact that 
they deal with a fauna much more extended than our own, 
makes them too cumbersome for the ready use of the general 
student. For these reasons it is thought that a key limited to 
our fauna and brought up to date may be a convenience. 
For the chief groups the classification of Stal, followed in 
the main by Uhler in this country, has been adopted, although 
the present writer has grave doubts of the natural character 
of some of the divisions. In consequence of the introduction 
of new genera it has been found necessary to modify consider- 
ably Stal’s definitions of some of the groups. All the 
recorded Nearctic genera have been examined. Thanks are 
due Dr. S. A. Forbes for placing freely at my disposal the 
material of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, 
and to Mr. E. D. Ball, of the Colorado State College of Agri- 
culture, for the loan of specimens. 
TABLE OP SUB-FAMILIES AND GENERA. 
A. Tarsi 3-jointed. 
B. Bucculae converging caudad, caudal ends united; basal 
segment of rostrum thickened. (Sub-family Asopince.) 
C. Pre-femora armed with a spine or acute tubercle 
below. 
D. Scutellum large, broad, extending almost or 
quite to apex of abdomen; frena never extending 
more than a third the length of scutellum. 
Stiretrus. 
