152 SECOND REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



tips of the leaves ; and they hung to the under parts of them in knots 

 like little swarms of bees. It takes only one or two days to destroy the 

 corn." In several instances entire fields were burned as the only known 

 method of subduing the pest. The total destruction of the crops ap- 

 peared inevitable, but most opportunely the season of 1840 proved to be 

 an exceedingly wet one. The insect could not endure the rains, but 

 died in myriads, and the attack was arrested. 



At about this time the chinch-bug was noticed along the Upper Mis- 

 sissippi and in northern Illinois.. Appearing simultaneously with the 

 advent of the Mormons at Nauvoo (1840-1844), it was believed by 

 many ignorant people to have been introduced by them, and the bugs were 

 accordingly known as " Mormon lice." 



It soon extended itself throughout all parts of Illinois and in adjoin- 

 ing portions of Indiana and Wisconsin. At this time, in Illinois in the 

 middle of extensive prairies, upon parting the grass in search of other 

 insects, Dr. Fitch found the ground swarming and covered with the 

 bugs. 



According to other writers, Ihe insect appeared in 1847, in Iowa. In 

 Indiana and Wisconsin, it was first observed in 1854 and 1855. In 1864, 

 the crops in Iowa and adjoining portions of Illinois suffered severely 

 from its attacks. In 1871 it spread in vast numbers over most of the 

 North-western States, and again in 1874 it proved very destructive. In 

 this latter year it was very injurious in Missouri, although its depreda- 

 tions had been serious in certain sections of the State in the years 1854- 

 1857; its first recorded appearance there was in 1836. 



The Common Name of the Insect. 



Inquiry is not infrequently made of the origin and meaning of the 

 popular name of this insect. Dr. Fitch has given this explanation: 

 At first it was only the wingless larvae which were supposed to be the 

 depredators, they not having been associated with the mature form with 

 its white wings. The larvae have a close resemblance to the common 

 bed-bug [Acanthia lectularia) formerly known as Oimex ledulnria. 

 Throughout the Southern States, the bed-bug is everywhere known by 

 its Spanish name of chincJio, and, therefore, when it was ascertained 

 that the wheat depredator was not the Hessian fly, it came to be distin- 

 guished by the name of the chinch-hug. 



Webster derives the Spanish chincho from the Latin cimex, and defines 

 chinch, ist, as the "bed-bug," and 2d, as "an insect or bug, resembling 

 the bed-bug in its disgusting odor, which is very destructive to wheat 

 and other grains; also called chintz, chmch-bug, chink-bug." 



