CHINCH BUG WEST OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 25 
hatching from these eggs constitute the spring generation (fig. 13 c, e,f,) 
and are the ones that do such enormous damage to wheat and young 
corn. Some of this generation reach maturity as they are migrating 
from wheat to corn, but most of them reach the corn (see fig. 12) 
‘before maturing and do much damage thereto. It is because 
the immature bugs reach the young corn in such immense numbers 
and mass upon the plants that they do such widespread damage 


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Fie. 12.—Corn plant about 2 feet tall, infested by chineh bugs. (Original.) 
(see Pl. IV), their depredations ceasing as they reach maturity. Only 
on rare occasions is an entire cornfield devastated, and often the dep- 
redation is brought to an abrupt standstill within a few rods of the 
opposite margin of the field because the bugs have reached maturity 
and dispersed. During July and August the insects mate, and the 
eggs for the second generation are deposited about the corn plants, 
where the young, on hatching, find an abundance of easily accessible 
food. Some of this generation reach maturity (see fig. 14) before 
the corn becomes dry, and migrate to volunteer wheat, but most of 
