28 MISCELLAISTEOUS COTTON INSECTS. 



''''Aphis cicJioru''' {Aj)h/',s Intuhi Koch), and his descriptions hardly 

 distinguish the two species, the main differences being the smaller size 

 of niedicaginis and the coloration of the antenna? and legs. In colora- 

 tion of the legs the apterous females of our specimens resemble niedi- 

 caginis^ but the coloration of the antenna^ is like that of dehor! !. The 

 size is difficult to determine from Koch's figure. It appears probable 

 that Aphis inedicaginis Koch is synon^^iious with ^1. eieJtorii Koch 

 {A. infyhi)^ but as it is practicall}" impossible to determine this with- 

 out the tj^pes, and as the name medicaginis has heretofore been used 

 in American literature, it seems best to retain it. 



For those who are unable to refer to Koch's description it is here 

 given: 



Head, neck, and body black, legs yellowi.sh white, the p(Mnts of the femora, tibia^, 

 and tarsi, black. Honey tubes somewhat long and black. The middle joints of the 

 antennse yellowish. This form is very closely relate<l to and hardly distinguishable 

 from A. cicJiorii. It is smaller, and is the smallest of the species which have yet 

 come to my notice. The winged insect has the same colorings as A. cirJiorii, except 

 that the two middle segments, namely the fourth and fifth [eridenfly of lite uiiteuiur — 

 E. D. S.], are yellowish, and the stigma of the front wing is smoky brown, darker 

 on the margin, approaching yellow toward the base. 



The wingless mother is hardly larger than the winged, though a little ))r()a(ler, not 

 as broad, however, as the same form of A. cicliorti. She is dark brown above and 

 below, on the back somewhat blackened. Honey tubes and style black. Antenna? 

 and legs yellowish white. The two end joints and the three shorter basal joints of 

 the antennte, as well as the points of the femora of the third pair of legs, and the 

 points of the tibife and tarsi of all the legs, black. The points of the femora of the 

 second pair grade into brown at the tips. The coxje grade into smoky brown. The 

 whole insect has very little glossy appearance. Only the back part of the abdomen 

 shows itself somewhat flattened, and with a short brilliant gloss. 



The host plant is Medlcago fulcola ; the aphis appears on this in very large numbers, 

 congregating in millions. They colonize on the twigs, and more seldom down on the 

 leaves. The winged forms readily make their escape when they notice danger. — 

 (Translation of C. E. Sanborn.) 



The species was first noticed in this country at St. Louis, Mo., in 

 July by Monell/* who gives its food plants as Caragana arhorescens, 

 Bobinia viscoscc, and Melilotus italica. Monell notes the shining black 

 dorsum, which agrees better with our description than that made b}' 

 Koch, who states that it is glossy only for a short distance on the 

 abdomen. This character is noted also by Thomas.'' The species is 

 also mentioned l)y CEstlund in his Aphidida^ of Miimesota (p. 69), and 

 by Osborn in his Catalogue of the liemiptera of Iowa.'" In a paper on 

 the Hemiptera of Colorado'' Cohen notes it on Astragalus hisulcatus^ 

 principally in the racemes of the flowers, and on Glycyrrhiza lepidota. 



«1879: Bui. U. S. Geol. Survey, Vol. V, No. 1, p. 24. 

 6 1895: 8th Kep. State Ent. 111., pp. 100-192. 

 '1892: Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci., Vol. 1, p. 129. 

 '^895: Bui. 31, Colo. Agric. Exp. Sta., j). 120. 



