INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 207 



Food Plants. — It feeds only upon the common milkweeds and is 

 of no economic importance. It is included because of the greal num- 

 bers of inquiries constantly received regarding its name and habits. 



Control.— Control measures are not necessary for this apparently 



unless bug. 



A r GJElDJE (Family) 



CHINCH BUGS 



The members of this family are mostly quite small, narrow or 

 oblong in shape, flattened above and of a rather soft texture. The 

 beak is four-jointed and the feet three-jointed. The antenna' are 

 inserted below a line drawn from the eye to the base of the beak. 

 The wing membranes have four or five simple veins arising from 

 their base; the two inner veins are sometimes joined, forming a cell 

 near the base. All are plant feeders and many become very serious 

 pests. 



THE FALSE CHINCH BUG 



Nysius cried Schilling 

 (Nysius an gust at us T'liler) 



Description. — The adults are very small grayish-brown bugs, about 

 I inch long. The young are somewhat lighter in color and have red- 

 dish-brown abdomens and lack wings. The legs and antennae are 

 quite long and are dark. 



Life History. — The eggs are deposited in the spring and early sum- 

 mer by the hibernating adults, which appear at that time. The young 

 are dull gray or brownish-red, and collect in ureat numbers upon the 

 food plants. The life cycle is short, there being many successive 

 broods each year. 



Nature of Work. — The work is practically the same as that of the 

 tarnished plant-bug. 



Distribution. — This buy occurs throughout the entire State, being 

 one of the commonest destructive insects. 



Food Plants. — Many plants are seriously damaged, including 

 alfalfa, apple, aster, cabbage, cauliflower, chrysanthemum, grape, 

 grasses, lettuce, marguerite, mustard, potato, purslane, radish, spurge, 

 strawberry, turnip and various other plants. 



Control. — As this bug breeds largely upon wild plants, such as 

 mustard, radish, purslane, etc.. clean culture should be practiced to 

 eliminate these food plants. Severe attacks to grapevines and young 

 trees have resulted from allowing such weeds to grow in the orchards 

 and vineyards. 



Soap, emulsion and tobacco sprays are excellent remedies. Pyre- 

 thrum is also recommended, but is too expensive for large plantings. 



THE MINUTE FALSE CHINCH BUG 



Nysius erica minutus (Uhler) 

 (Nysius angv status minutus Uhler) 



Description. — The appearance of this insect is so much like the 

 false chinch bug that it is commonly believed to be the same species. 



