6 MISCELLANEOUS KESULTS OE WORK OF BUREAU IX. 



but in small iiiiinbers, the largest number found on a single seed 

 head being five — two adults, two fourth-instar nymphs, and one fifth- 

 instar nymph. On the Milo maize, as on the alfalfa, Pentatoma 

 ligata was accompanied by P. sayi, but in more nearl}'^ equal numbers ; 

 this is not necessarily of anj^ special significance, though possibly it 

 may indicate a preference of the latter species for the seed of the 

 grains. 



COTTON. 



The first examination for the conchuela in the cotton fields at 

 Barstow was on August 11, when of the five fields visited specimens 

 of the insect were found in all except one. In every case the number 

 of damaged bolls, although in small proportion, gave evidence of the 

 occurrence of the insect in somewhat larger numbers some weeks 

 previous. In one field an examination of 100 plants showed an in- 

 festation of "5 per cent of the jjlants, Avith 12 adults per 100 plants. 

 The damage to the bolls in this field amounted approximately to 15 

 per cent. Another field of about 10 acres was found to be damaged 

 to a less extent except for about one-half an acre near one side where, 

 of GO bolls selected at random, 30 per cent were destroyed by bugs. 

 The writer estimates, as a result of personal examinations in many 

 fields at and near Barstow, that the average damage to cotton by the 

 conchuela in 1905 was about 10 per cent. 



PEACHES. 



Although peaches have been grown at Barstow for several years 

 we have no report of damage to the fruit by the conchuela or other 

 bugs until 1905, when the matter was reported by Mr. C. E. Pierce 

 and investigated, as stated in the introduction, by Mr. Crawford and 

 the writer. The attack was confined to the fruit of the earliest varieties 

 in their first fruiting season. The trees were located on the side of 

 the orchard adjacent to the 120-acre alfalfa field, the damage to the 

 seed crop of which in the previous year has already been mentioned. 

 Shortly after the 10th of July, coincident with the cutting of the 

 alfalfa, the bugs w^ere noticed on the fruit of these trees, which^was 

 just beginning to ripen. The trees soon became very heavily infested, 

 and on Juh' 20 it was not uncommon to observe from 10 to 15 on a 

 single peach and in one instance 20 were counted. The tendency 

 of the conchuelas to congregate on certain indiAddual peaches was 

 very marked, as has likewise been observed in their occurrence 

 upon cotton bolls.« On the most heavily infested trees, owing to 

 this habit, many peaches at any given time seemed neglected, but 

 all on the attacked trees were ultimately destroyed. The injured 

 fruit became shrunken in spots and sponge-like to the touch, finally 



oBul. 54, Bur. Ent., U. S. Dept. Agric, p. 26, 1905. 



