354 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 15 



Green Bugs. — The green bug (Toxoptera graminum Rond.) occa- 

 sionally injures Sudan grass as well as all other varieties of sorghum. 

 In 1916, in western Kansas, this species did considerable damage, 

 causing infested plants to turn yellow and die. Further injury by the 

 bugs was checked by a dashing rain. 



Insects Attacking the Planted Seed 



Kafir Ant. — One of the most injurious pests of kafir is the tiny -thief- 

 ant {Solenopsis molesta Say). The habits of this species have been 

 rather fully discussed by the writer (1920). Mention was made at the 

 time that no mating flight had been noted in Kansas, although citations 

 were made of its occurrence elsewhere. Since then the following observa- 

 tions were noted, which may be of interest in connection with the mating 

 habits of the species. 



"A general mating flight of 5. molesta occurred at 5:00 p. m., July 

 27, 1920, and until dusk the air contained thousands of individuals. 

 Females were the more abundant. Mating occurred in the air. Mating 

 pairs were seen to alight on the ground where the male would release 

 himself at once and immediately take to flight again, evidently pursuing 

 another female. Sometimes the female would fly and at other times 

 would at once begin to shed her wings. This was done by kicking t.hem 

 off on one side with the rear leg of that side. The front wing came off 

 first, then the other. Then turning onto the side of the body that had 

 lost the wings, it would kick off the other wings in the same manner. 

 This occupied only about one minute. Other females were seen to alight 

 without males, and at once shed their wings. These were perhaps 

 those individuals that had mated and taken to the air again. One 

 such was seen to alight on the leaf of a sorghum plant and shed its wings 

 on the leaf and then start to crawl down to the ground. The wingless 

 queens crawled over the ground and sought cracks in the soil in which 

 to enter. The night of July 25-26, 3.19 inch rain fell and the soil was 

 very damp. A jelly glass in the laboratory containing "sex-larvae" 

 collected June 24, 1920, had transformed and 12 males were observed 

 running about actively on the surface of the soil in the jelly-glass cage. 

 During the flight, one queen was observed near the crater opening of a 

 Lasius colony. It was attacked by the Lasius workers and carried 

 helpless into the opening of the Lasius nest. July 28, 1920, 9:30 a. m., 

 all of the queens flying last night have sought shelterunder com leaves, 

 stalks and clods in the com and kafir plots. Three winged males were 

 found walking on the surface of the soil. One male was seen with his 



