TOMATO INSECTS 



173 



at each end, whitish to pale brownish in color and faintly ridged 

 lengthwise. The eggs hatch in about five days. The nymphs 

 are brownish green w^ith the legs dark. In feeding, the bugs 

 puncture the stems, the 

 blossom stems, the ova- 

 ries and the young fruits, 

 causing the blossoms and 

 fruit to fall. There are 

 supposed to be at least 

 three generations an- 

 nually in southern Mis- 

 souri. 



The bugs may be 

 killed by spraying with 

 " Black ^ Leaf ^ 40 " to- 

 bacco extract, 1 part in SOO parts of water to which enough 

 soap has been added to make a suds. The insects are more 

 easily hit in the early morning or late in the afternoon. 



Reference 

 Mo. Fruit. Exp. Sta. Bull. 24, pp. 16-17. 1914. 



Fig. 98. — The tomato stilt-bug ( X 4). 



Fig. 100. — Adult of the 

 tomato wireworm ( X 4) . 



The Eastern Field 

 Wireworm 



Limonius agonus Say 



In New York, young 

 tomato plants are 

 sometimes seriously 

 injured by a wireworm 

 that bores up through 

 the stem, causing them 

 to wilt and die. This 

 wireworm (Fig. 99) is 



