THE FALSE CHINCH BUG. 29 



DESCRIPTION. 



Winged mriparous female. — Length, 1.99 mm.; width, 0.58 mm.; antenna:', 1.33 

 mm.; segment III, 0.33 mm.; lA^ 0.27 mm.; V, 0.22 mm.; VI, 0.10 mm.; VII, 0.27 

 mm.; wing expanf^e, 6.64 mm.; cauda, 0.11 mm.; cornicles, 0.34 mm. ; metatibife, 

 0.91 mm. 



Head, thorax, antennje, cornicles, and cauda black; abdomen slightly lighter or more 

 grayish-black; legs yellowish, except distal half of femora and distal fifth of tibia and 

 tarsus, which are dark; stigma and insertion of wings yellowish; three lateral black- 

 ish spots on margin of abdominal segments in front of cornicles, and fainter dark- 

 brown markings forming broken l)ands on abdominal segments. Cornicles straight, 

 tapering. Antennse with a row of about five sensoria on segment III. 



Apterous viviparous female. — Length, 1.66 mm.; antennae, 1.19 mm.; segment III, 

 0.25 mm.; IV, 0.15 mm.; V, 0.17 mm.; VI, 0.11 mm.; VII, 0.22 mm.; cauda, 0.13 

 mm.; cornicles, 0.33 mm.; metatibite, 0.86mm. 



Reddish or brownish black when seen under lens, but otherwise apparently shin- 

 ing black; cornicles and cauda black; sutures of caudal segments whitish, pulverulent; 

 antennte yellowish, except black distal segments; legs yellowish, except tarsi, tips of 

 tibife, and tips of metafemora; cornicles slightly constricted at base, extending to 

 or beyond tip of cauda. 



First and second in.4a.rs. — Light yellowish brown, a light stripe bounded on either 

 side by a darker brownish stripe along the dorsomeson ; cornicles black and connected 

 by a dark rusty band; head darker, rather greenish; legs and antennte similar to 

 adult. 



TJiird instar {which \\i\\ form pupa). — Deep pinkish, dorsal lines on abdomen as 

 in previous instar; shoulders whitish, otherwise same as before. 



Pupa. — Deep pinkish. 



Fourth instar, ajderous. — Deep reddish or maroon covered with whitish pulveru- 

 lence; head rather greenish; at first the body is greenish or brownish, but gradually 

 becomes uniform dark reddish as seen under lens, and finally l)lackisli. 



In either this last or the adult stage the insects commence to turn 

 blackish on the caiidal portion, the change in color gradiially extend- 

 ing forward. At the same time the pruinosity is lost, and finally the 

 adults become shining blackish. The color of the immature stages is 

 exceedingly variable. 



THE FALSE CHINCH BUG. 



(Xnsius iDif/ii.stntii-^ Vih\. Fig. 15.) 



During the spring of llMJi the false chinch bug occurred in unusual 

 numbers over widely separated localities in Texas and Louisiana, dam- 

 aging all sorts of crops, man}- of them not heretofore known to 1)6 

 injured by it, and among them cotton. 



Attention was first called to its occurrence b3^the citizens of Sabinal, 

 Uvalde Count}", Tex., late in April; and on Ma}^ 2 Mr. Sanborn visited 

 the locality. The insect had been known there for several years, but 

 until that spring had never done serious damage. The 3'oung bugs 

 occurred at that time in countless numbers, having caused the mesquite 

 trees to turn yellow, and destroyed the }'oung cotton so as to necessi- 

 tate replanting over large areas, nioreor less injury occurring over the 



