EGGPLANT INSECTS 179 



on end and lean in different directions. The mass is then 

 covered with a protective secretion. The egg is bottle-shaped, 

 greenish at the base and brownish towards the tip and about ^V 

 inch in length ; the top is crater-like with a white lace-like 

 border. The eggs hatch in five to nine days. In feeding, the 

 nymphs insert the bristles of the beak into the leaf and suck 

 out the juices. The mother lace-bug watches over her egg-mass 

 until the young are hatched and then cares for the nymphs 

 until they have reached a considerable size. A small area 

 surrounding an egg-mass is killed and the feeding of the nymphs 

 enlarges the injured part. The colony of nymphs then migrates 

 to a new position and there repeats the process. When abun- 

 dant, the whole plant may be killed or so injured that a crop of 

 fruit is not produced. In the course of its development, the 

 nymph sheds its skin five times, acquiring wings at the last 

 molt. About ten days are required for the nymphs to reach 

 maturity. The fifth stage nymph is yellowish in color with 

 a dark spot at the tip of the abdomen and is armed with numer- 

 ous spiny processes. In Tidewater, Virginia, there are six gen- 

 erations produced on eggplant and after this crop is harvested 

 two or more generations develop on horse-nettle. 



Both nymphs and adults can be killed by spraying with 7 

 or 8 pounds of whale-oil soap in 50 gallons of water. 



Reference 

 U. S. Dept. Agr. Bull. 239. 1915. 



Other Eggplant Insects 



Corn ear-worm : 211 

 Southern corn root-worm : 222 

 Garden web worm : 18 

 Harlequin cabbage bug : 38 

 Green soldier-bug : 42 

 Yellow bear caterpillar : 357 

 Spinach aphis : 150 

 Tomato worms : 168 



