IOWA PENTATOMOIDEA 
353 
lepidopteroTis larvae as well as on plant juices. In Iowa we have 
found this insect most commonly in fields of clover and timothy. 
Perhaps we are most familiar with the members of this family 
as a whole from the fact that when one of the bugs is disturbed 
a very ill-smelling odor is given off. And often when eating 
raspberries, blackberries or strawberries from the vines we have 
tasted something equally as had. It is due to this propensity for 
crawling on berry vines coupled with the evil odor that many of 
the Pentatomids are known as ‘‘Stink Bugs” or “Berry Bugs”. 
The odor emanates from an internal secretion which may he lib- 
erated at the will of the insect. In the adhlt, the fluid issues from 
a small opening on the episternum at either side of the mid-coxae. 
The shape and disposition of this opening is of considerable taxo- 
nomic importance. 
The members of the old genus Podisus may, on the whole, he 
classed among our beneficial bugs since they destroy annually 
great numbers of noxious insects. This genus is represented in 
Iowa by five species. In the nymphal stages many of the bugs 
are plant feeders and in the adult stage some are predaceous and 
others are both predaceous and plant feeding, sometimes to an 
injurious extent. Among the insects attacked by the species of 
Podisus found in Iowa may be mentioned several species of leaf- 
feeding beetles (Chrysomelidae). In the eastern states the 
larvae of the Gypsy Moth and other noxious lepidopterous in- 
sects have been recorded as being preyed upon by various species 
of the genus. 
OOMPAKISON OP THE WORK ALREADY DONE WITH THAT 
NOW IN PROGRESS. 
As previously mentioned, in practically the only work done 
on Iowa Pentatomoidea, that of Osborn, little more than lists 
of the various species are given. In only a few instances are 
food plants included and his collecting was rather circumscribed 
in its scope, most of his locality records, being from Ames and a 
few points in northwestern Iowa. This is not in criticism of 
Osborn’s, work for his studies in Iowa Homoptera were much 
more extensive and thorough. But the fact still remains that no 
other investigation of this group has been conducted since in the 
state. 
Of the species Neottiglossa undata Say, Osborn says, “not com- 
mon”, and this is the only reference that has been made in any 
of the literature as to its status in Iowa. The writer has speci- 
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