HEM IP TER A. 
141 
from which they derive their nourishment, but 
some of them are predaceous. The most avail¬ 
able character for distinguishing these insects is 
the structure of the wing-covers; at the base of Fig * i69# 
the membrane there are one or two cells, otherwise the 
membrane is without veins (Fig. 169). 
More than two hundred species belonging to this fam- 
ily are known to occur in the United States. 
Vj/j Figure 170 represents the Four-lined Leaf-bug, 
Poscilocapsus lineatus (Poe-cil-o-cap'sus lin-e-a'tus), 
J W \ a y ellow bug, with its prothorax and wing- 
Fig. 170 .—Pacii. covers marked with black, which is abundant 
7 u/ sus linea ’ hi early summer on the leaves of currant- 
bushes and of sage. 
Family PYRRHOCORID^E (Pyr-rho-cor'i-das). 
The Red-bug Family. 
The members of this family are rather stout and heavily 
formed bugs, and are generally black or brown, 
marked with red. Some members of the next 
family resemble these in markings, but the two 
families can be distinguished by the venation of F|G * I7I# 
the membrane of the wing-covers. In this family there are 
two large cells at the base of the membrane, and from these 
arise branching veins (Fig. 171). 
The most important species of this family is the Red-bug, 
or Cotton-stainer, Dysdercus suturellus (Dys-der'cus su-tu- 
rel'lus) (Fig. 172). The adult is of a reddish color; the wing- 
covers are pale brown, with pale-yellow stripes. The young 
are bright red, with black legs. They do much 
damage by piercing the stems and bolls of the 
cotton-plant and sucking the juices, but do much 
more damage by staining the cotton in the open¬ 
ing bolls. They also puncture the rind of oranges 
in Florida, so that decay soon sets in, and the 
Fig. i 7 2.— Dys-ixmt drops. These insects can be trapped by 
reiius. laying chips of sugar-cane around the cotton* 
