Insect Pests or Interest to Cotton Growers 



195 



eral occurrence in nearly all cotton fields rather than occasional 

 serious outbreaks, such as observed in the case of the cotton stainer. 

 The brown cotton bug- here referred to does not seem to breed to 



f 1 





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Fig. 19— Effects of plant bug attack on cotton bolls. 1, Boll with shrivelled 

 lock. 2. 3. 4 and 5. Small bolls, stunted and decayed as a result of plant bus at- 

 tack 6, Immature cotton boll broken open to show decayed condition of locks as 

 result of plant bug attack. 7, Same with lint and seeds removed to show prolifera- 

 tion or abnormal wartlike growth on insides of carpels produced by plant bug- 

 punctures. 



any extent upon the cotton plants. It is quite likely that it multi- 

 plies principally on wild food plants and migrates to the cotton 

 plants when these wild food plants become overstocked with the 

 insects or, in the case of annuals, reach maturity and die. The 

 brown cotton bug is rarely found in sufficient numbers to require 

 treatment except m small areas. Judging from observations made 

 on related species each adult of the brown cotton bug is capable of 

 destroying a large number of bolls. An average of one of these 

 bugs to a plant should be considered as threatening very noticeable 



