10 



destroA'in^ the wheat. It was also received June 2 from Mr. J. G. 

 Barlow, Cadet, Mo., who observed it to be very injurious to oats. 



REPORTED INJURY DURING 1901. 



During the spring of 1901 this species became extreme!}' numerous 

 in the grain belt of Texas, as the communications received during 

 that 3'ear show. 



Mr. W. li. Peters, Caddo Mills, Tex., wrote March 15: "I inclose 

 you a sample of red winter wheat that has been killed b}- a small 

 green bug. The wheat in our county is badly damaged by the insect. 

 1 have 50 acres destroyed by this bug." The same da}' specimens 

 were also received from Mr. C. A. Kelsey, Sherman, Tex., who said: 

 "These little flies are fast destroying the young wheat; they are 

 beginning to sap the oats, and have been Avorking on the grain since 

 early fall." 



Mr. H. K. Jones, Valley View, Tex., in a letter dated March 16, 

 says: 



I inclose you a i^ainple of insects which are kilhng the young wheat in this sec- 

 tion; they are on the wheat by the million. They tirst made their appearance 

 about ten years ago, at which time they killed all the wheat, or about all, in this 

 county, and what was left made only 1 to 3 bushels per acre. The next time we 

 noticed them was last year, when they made their appearance early in spring. After 

 the wheat headed they went to the heads, and we thought they would surely ruin 

 the wheat, but we had a good yield; after the wheat headed we had a great deal -of 

 rain, which may account for it. We first noticed them this season in December 

 last; they were not numerous, but have been increasing ever since. We find that 

 cold does not hurt them; they have gone through a zero spell and come out all 

 right; have seen the wheat covered with sleet and the bugs frozen up, but on thaw- 

 ing they seemed to be as hnngry as ever. Wet weather is no drawback to them; we 

 have just had a good rain a week ago, but the wheat looks worse and the ]>ugs l)etter. 



Mr. J. C. Coit, Denton, Tex., wrote March 18 that wheat in his sec- 

 tion was l)adly injured by this insect and that a few days previous it 

 was noticed that the wheat did not have so deep a color as usual at 

 that season, I'pon an investigation it was found that the ottter leaves 

 of the wheat were dead. The aphides were found on the ground 

 under the protection of the leaves, in some spots as many as six or 

 eight around the same plant. In 1890 the wheat was destroyed by this 

 or some similar pest. 



In a communication from ]Mr. B. H. Hamilton, Weston, Tex., March 

 18, it was stated that this insect was ruining the wheat in that part of 

 Texas, that it had been at work for six or eight days prior to the date 

 of writing, and it was noticed that on striking a bunch of wheat the 

 ground would be covered with numbers of the insects. It was in that 

 vicinity this year (3 902), but did not appear until the last of April or 

 first of May. 



