534 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc, 



ORDER HEMIPTERA: The True Bugs, Plant Lice, Scales, Etc. 



FAMILY APHIDIDJE; The Aphids. 



The Melon Louse {Aphis gossypli), and The Cucumber Louse {Aphis 



cucumeris)- 



The Melon Aphids are very small, greenish insects with globose 

 bodies not an eighth of an inch long. Some of the adults are wing- 

 less and some are winged. As they belong to Hemiptera they agree 

 with all insects of this large order (excepting the male scale bugs) 

 in having only the three stages in their life history: Egg, nymph and 

 adult. Yet the plant lice are parthenogenetic or give birth to suc- 

 ceeding generations of living young without mating for each genera- 

 tion. When winged there are two wings on each side of the body. 

 These are long and delicate and so close together that they would be 

 taken for a single pair. All plant lice are suctorial, feeding by suck- 

 ing out the juices of the plant. They live mostly on the young leaves, 

 terminal buds, and the unopened flowers, where their damage is 

 greatest. (See Fig. 13.) Their effect is to check the growth and dis- 

 tort and crumple the leaves. The two species named above are so 

 nearly alike in appearance and effects that no difference is to be made 

 in this treatise. They feed on dozens of different kinds of plants, cul- 

 tivated and uncultivated, and they are therefore quite diflScult to ex- 

 terminate. 



They have probably more natural enemies than have any other 

 kind of insects. Among these are many insectivorous insects, such 

 as lady bugs or lady beetles, Syrphus fly larva? (Fig. 14), minute wasp- 

 like internal parasites, the Aphis Lion or larva of the Lace-wing, etc. 

 (Figs. 15, 16, 17.) They are also the common food of most small in- 

 sectivorous birds, and are killed in great numbers by a fungus. 



They may prove serious at times if no efforts are made to prevent 

 them, but if taken early enough in the season they are easily held in 

 check by Mechanical Devices Nos. 2 and 3; Farm Practice Nos. 2, 3 

 and 4; insecticides Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (a and b), and 15. 



ORDER LEPIDOPTERA: Moths, Skippers and Butterflies. 



FAMILY PYRAUSTID^; The Pyraustids. 



The Pickle Moth {Endioptis nitidalis) (Fig. 18.) 



The larva of this moth bores into the fruits of squashes, melons, 

 cucumbers and cushaws, feeding on the fleshy pulp, causing it to de- 

 cay. It is quite a pretty brown and yellow insect called "the pickle 



