146 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



members of the cruciferous weeds. Upon these also the eggs are laid 

 and the young soon appear in great numbers in time to migrate to 

 the cabbage plants and work upon them throughout the summer. Suc- 

 cessive broods may appear in the cabbage fields and the numbers so 

 increase as to cause much damage. In the southern part of the State 

 the adults continue active throughout the winter. 



Distribution. — Throughout the entire State, but more often met with 

 in the central and southern sections. 



•N.^ 



Fig. 12S. — The cabbage bug, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn.). a and b, 

 young; c, d and e, eggs; aduUs at right. (After Riley.) 



Food Plants. — This bug is especially fond of all cruciferous plants, 

 including mustard, radish, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, rape, horse- 

 radish, etc. Other food plants are potatoes, eggplant, okra, beans, 

 beets, roses, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, squash, ragweed, pigweed, 

 wild lettuce, lambsquarters and most of the plants belonging to the 

 caper family. Occasionally nursery trees, citrus, locust, cherry, and 

 plum are injured, and the fruit of the grape and corn ears also suffer. 



Control.^ — Methods recommended for the squash bug are also 

 applicable to the control of the cabbage bug. Planting an early crop 

 of cabbage, rape, mustard or radish is especially recommended. The 

 eggs are laid in great numbers upon these plants and together with the 

 adults may be destroyed. This practice greatly lessens subsequent 

 attacks. 



Natural Enemies. — Great numbers of the eggs are destroyed by two 

 small internal parasites, Trissolcus murgantim Ashm. and Oceiicyrtus 

 johnsoni How. The wheel bug, Arilus cristatus Linn., feeds upon the 

 young nymphs in the Eastern States. 



THE COMMON SQUASH BUG. 



AtKi.sa triatis DeGeer. (Family Coreidse). 

 (Fig. 129.) 



General Appearance. — The small, somewhat three-sided eggs are 

 dark metallic brown in color and laid in groups of from fifteen to 

 forty. The freshly hatched bug is light green with pinkish appendages. 

 As it ages the thorax becames black and the abdomen gray. The adults 

 are dark grayish-brown above, mottled yellowish beneath, and about 

 three fourths of an inch long. They secrete a very offensive liquid, the 

 odor of which has led to their being called "stink bugs." They hiber- 

 nate in winter in any dry protected place; under boards, rubbish, 

 etc.. or in barns or outhouses. 



