February, ’24] 
READIO: SINEA DIADEMA 
81 
another reduviid, Apiomerus spissipes 7 with which he was working. 
Ashmead says of it, “The crowned Soldier Bug (, Sinea diadema) was 
common in all the cotton fields visited and does great service in destroy¬ 
ing the cotton aphids, small caterpillars, including the cotton worm, and 
other injurious species/’ 8 The writer has fed this insect on a wide 
variety of lepidopterous larvae, plant lice, leaf hoppers, small grass¬ 
hoppers, the tarnished plant bug and other mirids, weevils, small leaf 
beetles and many other injurious insects. It is also true that it is 
found commonly in the fall of the year on golden rod, feeding on flies 
and bees. The writer has come to the conclusion that Sinea diadema 
is a generally beneficial species, of outstanding importanc as an enemy 
of no particular species, but nevertheless doing a vast amount of 
good in the wide range of its distribution. 
Seasonal Life History 
Sinea diadema winters as an adult, as do so many other Heteroptera. 
Adults have been taken in late November in the winter rosette of 
common mullein, Verbascum thapsus. 
There are probably two generations a season. This study was begun 
in the middle of June, and at that time adults and nearly grown nymphs, 
but no young nymphs, were collected in the field. The adults mated 
almost immediately and laid eggs soon after. Collecting in July pro¬ 
duced adults and nymphs of all stages, probably nymphs of the second 
generation. From this, the writer concludes that there are two genera¬ 
tions, the first maturing in June and early July, and the second maturing 
in August and early September and wintering over. 
Details of Life History 
Eggs: The eggs are laid in double rows on stems or leaves of plants, 
or on other objects, in groups of from five to twenty-two, the usual 
number being from eight to twelve. They are attached by means of a 
glue. The largest total number of eggs laid by a single female in the 
laboratory was four hundred and twelve; these were laid over a period 
of two months. The eggs have been figured by Heidemann 9 and 
Barber, 10 and described by Heidemann, Ashmead 8 and Barber. I 
quote the description given by Barber. 
“Length 1.3 mm.; width .6 mm.; diameter of extension of chorion .8 mm. Color 
brown, minutely granulated, somewhat shining; central area of cap brown, outer rim 
brown with minute, regular, white reticulations; extension of the chorion white with 
dark lines, brown towards the inner edge; shape, subelliptical, narrowed towards the 
cap; central area of the cap raised, cone-like, bluntly rounded at the tip, composed 
