552 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



juices from the host plant with a sharp beak. Specimens were received 

 from Mr. C. R. McBride, County Horticultural Commissioner of 

 Solano County, with a report that they were doing serious damage to 

 the fruit of peaches by puncturing the skin and causing the sap to 

 ooze out. Complaint Avas also sent into the Insectary by Mr. Elmore 

 Chase at Fairoaks that a small black plant bug was doing considerable 

 injury to garden crops in his locality, and that the pest was spreading 

 rapidly. 



On visiting the infested territory I found that the insect was common 

 on both the garden crops and on the weedy growth of the uncultivated 



Fig. 332. — -Ventral and dor- 

 sal views of Irbisia brachy- 

 cerus Uhler. Enlarged twice. 

 (Original.) 



areas several miles from the damaged garden. Even the wild cucumber 

 vines on the bottom near the American River had their share of the 



pest. 



Of the vegetables in the infested garden, consisting of lettuce, 

 radishes, onions and rhubarb, the radishes and rhubarb seemed to be 

 the insect's particular favorites. 



The rhubarb leaves were badly curled at the tips Avhich Avere dead 

 and the surfaces were streaked with dead discolored portions. Hun- 

 dreds of the insects were found to be sucking out the juices of the host, 

 for the most part, from the under side of the leaves. They were quite 

 active and easily dislodged by shaking the plants but would soon 

 crawl back up the stems and on to the leaves. The radishes were 



