70 THE EEPOKT OF THE No. 36 



disturbed they run rapidly, biding in the axils of the leaves or any place that affords 

 concealment. When disLurbed suddenly, they often drop, but usually alight on 

 another branch before reaching the ground. In cases where nymphs fallen to the 

 ground have been prevented from reascendmg the tree. I)y means of tanglefoot 

 bands, beneath which they cluster, it has been obser\ed tliat when a person sud- 

 denly approaches tlie tree, a number of them will drop to the ground. Others have 

 been observed to drop in this way when approached l\v an enemy or harvestmau. 



The young nymphs seem to prefer the young foliage of apple and pear, but 

 will also puncture the tender shoots. Later they freely attack the blossoms, but 

 they forsake all other food for the fruit once it has set. Though we have reared 

 through these insects exclusively on leaves, there is no doubt that the later nymphal 

 stages prefer fruit, and tliey can only with diificulty be induced to feed on mature 

 leaves. A favorite place to feed is a cluster of fruit growing closely together and 

 not having reached the size wdien their own weight pulls the separate fruits apart. 

 In feeding, the nymphs range quite widely over the tree, especially when not numer- 

 ous. Every fruit on a very lightly infested pear tree was pierced several times, 

 showing that several must have been punctured by one insect. This observation was 

 further confirmed by liberating a number of nymphs beneath a non-infested tree. 

 The next day the typical injury was present all over the tree. The nymphs were 

 observed to exhibit predaceous habits on several occasions. At one time a number of 

 bugs were observed repeatedly thrusting their beaks into three laryas of the green 

 fruit -worm (Xylina sp.) that had become caught in a tanglefoot band, and con- 

 tinued to do so until the caterpillars had been sucked completely dry. They will 

 also on occasions attack man. The writer has been stung in the neck and hand 

 more than once. I'f left alone the insect will pierce the skin of the hand as many 

 as tl'.ree times and remain feeding until gorged with blood. 



Habits of Adults. 



The adults, like the nymphs, are very active. On bright, sunny days they 

 usually take to flight very readily when disturbed. On dull, cold days they are 

 more sluggish and sometimes drop to the ground, tliough often they take to flight 

 after having dropped a short distance. On really hot days the adults fly about con- 

 siderably, and, standing in a heavily infested orchard, they can be readily observed 

 flying about in the sunlight. 



Since the prevailing opinion is that the pest spreads but slowly in an orchard, 

 experiments were tried to determine the length of flight of the adults. When liber- 

 ated the insects fly straight up in the air for a considerable distance, after which 

 they can be followed by the eye for several yards, as they fly straight off in one 

 direction. Just how far they fly at any one time it would be difficult to deter- 

 mine, but individuals have been taken one quarter of a mile from the point of liber- 

 ation, a few days later. 



Like the nymph, the adult may also become predaceous in habit. The writer 

 observed one with beak inserted full length in a tussock moth larva, and it relin- 

 quished its hold very reluctantly. It will also pierce the skin of man quite as readily 

 as the nymph. 



The adult Lygus will not feed upon foliage at all readily, preferring a diet of 

 fruit, and, unlike the nymph, which seems to prefer the apple, the adult seems to 

 have a preference for the fruit of pears. One case was observed in which a row of 

 pear trees had been freed of nymphs by spraying. Adjoining this row was a num- 

 ber of infested apple trees, and as soon as the bugs developed wings, they flew over 



