352 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
The studies of the writer have been greatly facilitated through 
another line of work that is being undertaken for the Iowa Geo- 
logical Survey and, in conjunction with this investigation, prac- 
tically every county in the state will he visited before the work 
is completed. It is largely through this kind of collecting that 
some additions to the locality records of Osborn will he made 'and 
the limits of distribution for the state be worked out more defi- 
nitely. 
Most of the Pentatomids are taken by beating vegetation with 
a sweep net. The Cydnids are found in or on the ground and 
something may be learned of the hibernating species in the other 
families by searching under sticks, leaves, rocks, etc., in winter, 
fall and early spring. A few species have been found in almost 
every month of the year. 
ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE GROUP. 
Many of the species of the Pentatomoid group are of consider- 
able economic importance from an agricultural standpoint. Some 
are beneficial and some are harmful but it is not often that any 
great damage is done by any of the Pentatomids except in the 
case of the Harlequin Cabbage Bug. This insect feeds on cabbage 
and other cultivated and wild Cruciferae and the loss each year 
in the southern states amounts to thousands of dollars. Great 
numbers of the bugs attacking a plant will cause it to wither 
and die due to the many punctures made by the insects ’ beaks 
and to their taking up of the plant juices. Often entire fields 
are devastated by this hardy and prolific insect. 
At Ames, in the summer of 1913, we found that potatoes were 
attacked by the Negro Bug, Tliyreocoris pulicaria Germar, and 
some of the plants, particularly young ones, were stunted in 
growth. Nothing of a serious nature was observed, however. 
Tobacco is often injured by these bugs but, of course, not to any 
appreciable extent in this state. 
The genus Euschistus, which includes one of our most abuur 
dant and widely distributed species, E. variolarhis Beauv., con- 
tains other species which are mainly plant feeders, though a few 
are predaceous to some extent and are beneficial for the most part 
since they destroy noxious insects. Euschistus variolarius is 
known to feed on Asparagus, Carduus, Thermopsis, Zea mays, 
broom corn, oats, rye, red clover, tomatoes, raspberries, mullein, 
peaches, tobacco and grasses. It is also said to feed on some 
