Vol. 88, Nos. 7 & 8, September & October 1977 169 ELEVATION OF THE SEEDBUG EREMOCORIS BORE A LIS (DALLAS) FROM SYNONYMY WITH EREMOCORIS FERUS (SAY)(HEMIPTERA: LYGAEIDAE)' Merrill H. Sweet ABSTRACT: A neotype is selected for Eremocoris ferns (Say) and Eremocoris borealis (DaUas) is raised from synonymy. These sibling species show behavioral and reproductive isolation in mating trials. The courtship behavior of E. borealis is described. E. borealis has a more northern distribution; E. ferns, a more southern distribution. In the zone of sympatry in southern New England the species exhibit ecological displacement in which borealis is restricted to cool hemlock forests, ferns to warmer deciduous forest. The species are morphologicaUy distinguished. A key to the species of Eremocoris of North America east of the 100 meridian is given. DESCRIPTORS: Hemiptera, Eremocoris, reproduction, ecology, behavior, sibling species, seedbugs. Eremocoris is a moderately large genus of seedbugs of which 17 species and 5 "varieties" are Palearctic and 11 species are Nearctic (Slater 1964). In terms of the world fauna the genus has never been monographed and badly needs revisional study. Many new taxa are present in the western Nearctic fauna and a suspiciously large gap exists in records o{ Eremocoris from the eastern Palearctic. Nevertheless, due to the studies of Barber (1928) the fauna of eastern North America on the alpha taxonomy level is comparatively well known, and at present consists of one widespread species, £". fenis (Say) and two southeastern species, E. setosis Blatchley and E. depressiis Barber. Eremocoris seedbugs are common insects in eastern North America (Sweet 1964). Their apparent rarity, such as indicated by the few records given in the Slater catalogue (1964), is merely a function of the collecting habits and specializations of entomologists since the insects live on the ground under litter where, in the sense of Janzen (1971) they prey on fallen seeds, especially those of coniferous trees. I found other species of the genus in the western United States to be similarly abundant under various coniferous trees. From the standpoint of reproductive ecology and forestry the significance of these insects must be severely underestimated since the bugs not only feed on seeds after they have fallen, but do so in an inconspicuous manner througli drilling a nearly invisible hole into seeds, rather than in the easily detected destructive manner of small rodents. Accepted for publication: February 7, 1977 ^Departments of Biology and Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843 ENT. NEWS, 88: 7 & 8: 169-176, September & October 1977
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