PENTAT0MID2E. 
673 
Niceville records this as attacking grave vines and figures the eggs and 
nymphs (Indian Museum Notes, V, p. 119). 
Chrysocoris stollii, Wolfi, is closely similar and equally general. 
It has been found among forest trees and in dense vegetation. Its life- 
history is briefly described by Kershaw and Kirkaldy as seen in S. China 
(Trans. Ent. Soc., London, 1908, p. 59). Chrysocoris purpureus, Westw., 
and C. marginellus, Westw., are stated by R. M. Dixon to be injurious 
in gardens. The former breeds freely on Jatropha curcas, a common 
bush; it is familiar in South India, where children know it and catch 
it to play with. 
Hotea curculionides , Herr. Sch., is a brown species, with a resem¬ 
blance to a weevil, found among dead leaves under large trees. The 
nature of its food is unknown. Alphocoris lixoides, Germ., has a still 
more marked resemblance ; it is found so rarely its habits have not 
been observed. Arctocoris incisus , Stab, is a small dark form, with the 
pronotum deeply transversely impressed and the whole body and 
scutellum densely clothed in long hairs. It is found in the loose surface 
soil in Behar and is seen but seldom. 
Graphosomatince. —In these the scutellum is long, but the basal 
and outer margins of the corium are exposed and sometimes the apex 
of the abdomen (Plate LXXII, fig. 11). Four species have been found 
in Behar, under leaves in the fields or jungle, though all are recorded by 
Distant from the hills alone. These are all dull brown or black species, 
the typical colouring of insects which live a concealed life on the surface 
of the soil under leaves. They are Storthecoris nigriceps, Horv., Amauro- 
pepla denticulata, Hagl., Melanophara spinifera , Westw., and Podops 
coarctata, Fabr. All are likely to be found if surface insects are being 
collected in the plains. The first two are to be found at the roots of 
sugarcane where also their nymphs occur. The last was reported as 
injurious to rice in the Salem district in July, 1907, with Tetroda 
histeroides, Fabr., the only known case of this species being destructive. 
Cydnince.— Almost the whole of the basal ventral segment is 
covered by the metasternum. These are deep brown or black insects of 
moderate size, found under stones among fallen leaves at the surface of 
the soil, in dense vegetation or in the soil itself. Some are notorious 
owing to their habit of coming in immense numbers to lights at night, 
and as their odour is a very powerful and aromatic one, they are a 
43 
XIL 
