M 



SUCilNG INSECTS. 



Fia. 279. 

 Sucking mouth-parts of Hemip- 

 tera ; the tipper one has the 

 curved Leak of the predaceous, 

 the lotver that of the herhivor- 

 ous hugs. 



from the leaves, the stem or the fruit ; many species are known in 

 jung-les and waste lands, a few of which attack crops or garden plants. 

 The Red Bug and the Dusky Bug of cotton (page 104), the Maize Fly 



and Cane Fly (page 134), and the Rice 

 Bug (page 116) are examples of plant bugs 

 which attack only specific crops and are 

 special pests. A number of other species 

 attack crops occasionally, though feeding 

 habitually upon wild plants and only enter- 

 ing* the crops when they have become 

 exceptionally abundant. 



The life history varies with the sj)ecies. 

 Eggs are laid on the plant or on the ground, 

 the little bugs that hatch resembling their 

 parents in general form. Bug eggs are 

 easily recognisable, being laid in little 

 clusters on the leaves in many cases ; the 

 egg's are often cylindrical with neat lids 

 that open when the bugs emerge. There 

 are a number of moults, the wings appear- 

 ing at the penultimate one. The bug extracts food from the plants by 

 means of the beak, a slender tube provided with sharp lancet-like instru- 

 ments ; the end of the tube is applied to the plant ; the lancets work up 

 and down till they pierce the tissues and the 

 sap is withdrawn by suction. After feed- 

 ing, the bug withdraws the lancets and 

 moves on. 



Plant bugs form a large group with very 

 varied habits and very diverse form. They 

 are in all cases recognisable by the beak, a 

 straight sharp tube which extends from the 

 head along the lower side of the body. 



Other bugs that feed upon the juice of 

 insects are predaceous, having a poisonous 

 bite. One of the larger predaceous bugs 

 comes into houses at night, attracted by 

 lights, and if handled, inflicts a very painful 

 l)ite. These predaceous bugs can generally 

 be knoAvn at once hj the form of the beak, which is short and curved ; 

 whilst in the plant bugs it is long and extends straight between the 

 legs (see fig. 279). This is not invariable as some of the true plant bugs 



Fig. 280. 



The Cinchona Biif/, almost ideri' 



tical with the Betel Vine Bug. 



(Maguijied.) {From Distant.) 



