THE INSECTS OF NEW JERSEY. 



159 



Family CUNOCORID^e. 



CIMEX Linn. 



C. lectularius Linn. The common "bed-bug." 

 Wingless, flattened, oval, red-brown in 

 color, found in human habitations 

 throughout the State. They infest not 

 only beds but the crevices and cracks in 

 other furniture and in the woodwork of 

 the room. A free use of gasoline ap- 

 plied twice at intervals of ten days will 

 serve to clean them out, but the appli- 

 cations must be thorough, and every 

 crevice large enough to hold a bug must 

 be dosed. The family term here used 

 replaces the Cimicidse of the previous 

 list. 



CECIACUS Stal. 



The bed-bug, Acantlna lectulana. 

 Fig. 68 



CE. hirundinis Jen. Infests the nests of swallows; common in parts of 

 Burlington County and probably elsewhere in the State. Is very 

 similar to the preceding in appearance, and a close ally in habits, but 

 does not infest human habitation. 



Family MIRID^. 



These are the "leaf-bugs" or "plant-bugs," recorded as Capsidse in the 

 previous edition. They are usually soft in texture, oval in shape, some- 

 what flattened above, with the membraneous tip of wings often sloping- 

 down rather abruptly. The colors are green and brown as a rule, more 

 or less mottled and inconspicuous, but red and black bands and spots are 

 not infrequent, and some of them present striking contrasts. 



While none of the species that occur in this State are first-class pests, 

 many are common and numerous enough to do a great deal of injury that 

 is not always recognized. They feed, as all their allies do, on plant 

 juices, and often puncture buds, blossoms or young shoots, crippling, 

 checking growth or actually killing them. On some small fruits they 

 kill the blossom stalk or even pierce the young fruit, and this kind of 

 injury is not easily avoided. Some winter as adults; hence it is always 

 a good plan to destroy all rubbish, &c., that may serve as a hiding place. 

 Others lay their eggs in the stems of the plant in which they feed, and 

 these may be reached by intelligent trimming and burning the cuttings. 

 Contact poisons only are available for use against these insects, and these 

 are effective only when used thoroughly and with a full understanding 

 of the particular case in hand. 



Quite a number of additions have been made to our collections since 

 the previous edition, and again Mr. Heidemann has been good enough to 

 supply the material for the form in which it stands at present. 



