EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



383 



leaves a large brown wilted spot which greatly mars the attractive appear- 

 ance on the market and lowers the price accordingly. I do not remember 

 of talking with a celery-grower this season, who knew the real cause of 

 these brown spots on celery. The most general belief was that it was 

 caused by " sun scald," or perhaps bruised in blanching. This is not at 

 all surprising as the bug is so shy and retiring, when one is near, that it is 

 only by quiet and careful watching that it is seen feeding. Then, too, it 



Fig. 6.— The tarniehed plant bng, showing the various stages of growth. A, very young bng; B, second 

 stage; C, the fourth stage; D, the matured, winged form. The line at the right shows the natural size 

 —(original). 



is almost always well in toward the center of the plant and is protected largely 

 from view. Very often when disturbed, or even on the approach of possible 

 danger, the mature form will take wing and fly away, and the younger 

 ones not having wings will drop to the ground and seek protection there. 



LITERATUKE. 



The tarnished plant bug is a native of nearly all parts of our country. 

 For this reason, coupled with its general destructiveness, it has been made 

 the subject of many articles. Nearly all are brief notices of injury done. 

 The only really extensive or exhaustive article on the species is by Prof. 

 Forbes in the 13th Illinois Entomological Report, 1883, pp. 115-135 (111.). 

 All of the more important literature is referred to here. The work treats 

 of the bug as a strawberry insect, causing the berries to shrivel by suck- 

 ing the juice from them. Pyrethrum is the remedy recommended. In 

 the following year, report 14, pp. 79-80, additions to the previous report 

 are given in which Prof. Forbes describes the egg of tbp bug and records 

 an experiment with pyrethrum not working as well as expected. 



Several other authors have before and since written short accounts of it 

 as a strawberry bug. 



The earliest important article was by Dr. Harris in "Insects Injurious 

 to Vegetation," pp. 199-203. Under the name of Phyiocoris lineolaris, he 

 treats of it as injurious to flowering plants and potato vines, and recom- 

 mends simple but as inefficient remedies. 



