ABSTRACT
The saldids are a cosmopolitan group ranging over all of North America as far north as the shores of the Arctic Ocean. They are oval or elongate-oval bugs with moderately long legs fitted for running or jumping. The eggs are generally laid at the base of grass blades or inserted into them, with a developmental time to imago of about a month. Saldids are predators and scavengers, feeding on organisms found on the surface or in the damp surface layers of the substrate. The hemelytra are divided into a clavus, corium, and membrane, the latter having veins which delimit 4 or 5 cells. There are 23 described genera worldwide of which 12 occur in North America. The more secretive species living in dense grasses, on large stones, or on vertical rock faces blend in with the substrate and may hide in holes or crevices.
