4 MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF WORK OF BUREAU IX. 



stated, as in all cases where j)lants without seed were heavily in- 

 fested the cutting was made before the writer had an opportunity to 

 make an examination. x\ccording to report, however, no marked 

 effect upon the plant was produced in the instances here recorded, 

 and, accordingly, until more is known, we may assume that where 

 it is not intended to produce seed the principal danger incident to 

 the occurrence of the conchuela in alfalfa fields lies in the fact 

 tliat a choice breeding place is furnished the insects, which ma}' 

 multiply to- enormous numbers and spread to other crops. This 

 phase of the subject will be discussed elsewhere in this paper and also 

 in a report on HeteroDtera attacking the cotton plant. 



Fig. 1.- — The conchuela (Pcntatoma liyata) : a, adult bug; h, egg mass on leaves; c, egg 

 after hatching, lid removed showing egg burster ; d, egg before hatching, from above ; 

 e, egg from side, showing lid above exit hole ; f, egg before hatching, from side ; a, en- 

 larged 4 diam. ; h, enlarged 2% diam. ; c-f, enlarged 9 diam. (Author's illustration.) 



In infested fields when the seed is present the bugs may be seen 

 clingiug to the seed clusters extracting the rich juices by means of 

 their thread-like setae. The seed pod, when once fed upon, shrivels 

 and turns dark and is readily distinguished from uninjured seed 

 pods. No attempt has been made to determine how rapidly a bug 

 progresses with its destructive feeding, but as these insects are usually 

 observed to be engaged in this way as long as desirable food remains, 

 and as the individual seed is small, undoubtedly each one of the 

 insects is capable of destroying a very large number of the seed pods 

 during its existence. 



Cutting of the alfalfa checks the multiplication of the pest, l)ut 

 also has the effect of driving the bugs elsewhere in search of food, 



