MEXICAN CONCHUELA IN WESTERN TEXAS IN 19or>. 8 



injury which usually first bccoiiies apparent upon the openin*^ of 

 the bolls. The most notable losses in 1904, which with little doubt 

 were due to the conchuela, were on the farms of Mr. C. E. Pierce 

 and Miller Brothers. The former had 120 acres of alfalfa which 

 was cut for the seed crop about the middle of July, from 150 to :200 

 pounds of seed per acre being expected. It was noticed that this 

 insect was very abundant in the field, but the extent of the damage 

 was fully realized only when an average of 83;^j pounds of seed per 

 acre was obtained. At the prevailing value of 12 cents per pound 

 the estimated loss was from $8 to $14 i:>er acre, or from $900 to 

 $1,(580 for the entire field. The 10 acres of alfalfa belonging to 

 Miller Brothers should have produced at least 150 pounds of seed 

 per acre, according to general estimates, but so much of the seed 

 was ruined, supposedly by the conchuela, that the yield was reduced 

 to ()0 pounds per acre. The average loss per acre was estimated 

 as at least $10. Other losses of this kind occurred in AVard County 

 during 1904, but the information obtainable concerning them is less 

 definite. According to one report, alfalfa growers at two other 

 points in the Pecos River Valley — Grand Falls and Toyah Creek — 

 experienced a failure with a seed crop of alfalfa in that year which 

 they attributed to " Aveevil," a term connnonly applied to the cause of 

 such losses even before an insect has been located upon whic^h to place 

 the responsibility. In this case the writer believes that at least the 

 greater part of the losses in question can be safely considered as due 

 to the work of Pentatoma ligata^ together with the grain bug, 

 P. aay'i. 



CROPS DAMAGED IN 1905. 



ALFALFA. 



Direct observations, both in western Texas and northern Mexico, 

 showed that fields devoted to alfalfa are capable of harboring the 

 conchuela in enormous numbers. In the Laguna district in Mexico 

 alfalfa has been grown for several years, but only for hay and forage, 

 and in comparatively small quantities on the cotton i)lantations. As 

 far as could Ix* learned, previous to 1905 the pest here considered 

 never attracted attention on account of its occurrence in the alfalfa 

 fields, but in that year it became so abundant that at Tlahualilo, 

 State of Durango, upon the cutting of a crop, adjacent cotton fields 

 and a small vineyard were overrun by myriads of the insects, while 

 several miles distant at another plantation it was first brought to the 

 notice of the managers by appearing in large numbers in the troughs 

 in which green alfalfa was fed to stock. In these cases, no seed 

 crop being grown, the attack was limited to the leaves and stems. 

 The effect of the extensive feeding on these parts can not be definitely 



