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On the Life-History of Lygseus turcicus, Fah. 

 By C. H. T. Townsend. 



As far as known to me, the habits of this insect have not heretofore 

 been much investigated. The imagines are common here during July 

 and August, but until lately I had not observed the species closely enough 

 to discover it in its early stages. 



Mr. Uhler, in his paper on the Hemiptera Heteroptera of the Harris 

 Collection (Proceedings B. S. N. H., vol. XIX, p. 365-446), gives the 

 following after the name Lygceus turcicus Fab. 



"No. 21, Harris' Collection. 'On Asckpias synaca, July 10, 1822. 

 Larvae on Asclepias, Oct. 15, 1832. North Cannon, Mich., T. E. Wet- 

 more.' Westfieid, Mass., Dr. S. Shurtleff. " 



Thus it seems that the larvae were observed as early as 1832, and in 

 this State (Mich.). The township of Cannon is in Kent County, im- 

 mediately north-east of Grand Rapids township, with which it joins corners. 



In regard to the food habits of either the larvae or the perfect bugs of 

 this species I have never seen anything published, except a short statement 

 by Glover, and one or two similar ones by others, having no doubt the 

 statement of the author named for their authority. In his paper on the 

 Heteroptera, presented in the Report of the U. S. Entomologist for 1875 

 (Report U. S. Com. Agric. , 1875, p. 1 14-140), Glover states that L. 

 turcicus "has been observed once or twice preying on the small caterpil- 

 lars feediiig on the Asclepias, or milkweed." An allied species, Oncopeltus 

 fasciatus Dallas, is given on the next page as "having been found in great 

 abundance in Maryland on flowers of the Asclepias in company with cater- 

 pillars oi Euchetes egle," adding that "it probably feeds also upon them." 

 In his paper on Insects frequenting the Cotton plant (Agricultural Report, 

 1855, p. 64-119), Glover also states that a nearly allied bug, supposed 

 to be a species oi Lygceus, the larvae of which he found in injured cotton 

 shoots, was seen to kill and suck the juices from members of his own 

 species, and also to suck the sap from the cotton plant. It seems that 

 the food habits of the Lygceidcs and Pyrrhocoridce have not been much 

 inquired into (with the exception of two species, the chinch-bug and the 

 cotton-stainer), a few notes like the preceding concerning some of the 

 species being all I find upon the subject. 



Z. turcicus is seldom found here on any other plant than A. tuberosa, 

 though sometimes on A. syriaca. The only exceptions to its Asclepias- 

 habit, that have ever come under my observation are three instances, an 

 individual being taken each time on rag-weed, a tall weed, and a flower- 

 ing-almond ; and these I think were accidental occurrences. The 

 earliest date at which I have taken the species is March 3, (1882), when 



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