392 Report of the Department of Entomology of the 



is from one week to ten days. A few eggs, moreover, do not hatch 

 until early in August.* 



As soon as hatched, the young nymphs crawl to the cranberry 

 vines, insert their beaks into the bark and commence feeding. Some- 

 times a single nymph will be found on a branch, but usually from 

 two to six are grouped near together to feed. Not infrequently 

 as many as three cast skins have been observed in the immediate 

 vicinity of one insect, which indicates that individuals of the species 

 may remain feeding on one branch for considerable portions of time 

 unless disturbed. The cast skin may be easily mistaken for the bug 

 itself, and when numbers of them are massed together they present 

 the appearance of a colony of the living insects. In 1912 the first 

 winged specimens, all of which were males, were observed on August 1, 

 while in 1913 winged specimens were obtained on August 2. Mating 

 of the insects was first observed during 1913 on September 14 and 

 insects in copula were detected as late as October 15. In the observa- 

 tion cages, the males died a short time after mating, while the 

 females disappeared soon after the conclusion of the period of egg- 

 laying. 



SOME HABITS OF THE INSECT. 



As the nymphs feed and grow they secrete a pulverulent, cottony 

 substance, so that the bodies of the insects appear to be covered 

 with small tufts of white hairs. This secretion, instead of forming 

 long tufts as is natural with some species of bugs, breaks away as 

 a powdery substance which adheres to the branch where the insects 

 feed and to surrounding objects, or may even appear on the ground. 

 This substance is secreted from glands on the body and is not the 

 excreta of the insect. The latter looks like fly specks when it occurs 

 on the leaves, even on the old dead leaves. It resembles the peri- 

 thecia of the cranberry-rot fungus and may quite easily be mistaken 

 for them. 



The molted skins adhere to the branch where they are shed. 

 Usually it is easier to find the cottony secretion and molted skins 

 than to find the nymphs themselves (Plate XII, fig. 1), as the latter 

 have a habit of dodging around to the opposite side of a branch 



* Bog No. 1 was flooded June 13 and 14, before blossoming, for cranberry 

 worms, and left under water forty-eight hours. No toad-bugs in any stage of develop- 

 ment came ashore at this time. 



Bog No. 2 was flooded July 23. On August 6, young nymphs were found on it. 



