93 



(;kain inskcts. 



Tlic soiit lirni iiTMiii \i)[isi' {To.i-oplf ra (/rdiiiiiiiim Koiid.), iiiailc its 

 apin'araiicc oil wheat ami <»a1s in pai'ts of north 'I'cxas cai-ly in .Maicli, 

 bill was soon (h'stroy<'<l hy parasites. The \vin,ii<'«| ai)his evidently 

 nui;i"i1es to the ^rain in llie fall, as !lie injniy coniiuenees in spots 

 luM-e and thereover llie fn-id, and pievions to the outbreak of I!)()l 

 these spots wore observed as early as Deeenibei", I!>()(>. It seems prol)- 

 abh'tliat the pest is Indd ineoidrol I»y hyinein)[)terous parasites whose 

 reproductioit is prcNcnted I>y eontiuued eohi, wet weather, as Pro- 

 fessor Webster has sliown is the ease with the nearl\ allied i,Main 

 Neotaropliora. The early spring" of 1IH)1 was unusually e)ld, wet, and 

 l)atdvward in the injni-ed lerritoi-y. The ap]ii(h's disappeared fi-oni 

 tiie fudds early in April, llio;], as in I'.tdl. Exith'Utly they niiiirate to 

 some other host plaid. Tliey wei-e reared in the laboratory until 

 June 1 witln)ut any eliange of form or hal)it beini; indicated. 



Specimens of XerfiiropJtora rerealis"^ were secure*! eaily in .lannary 

 and reared until late April. Late in April apterous ovipai-ons 

 females and winded males ai)peai"ed, and e.L'gs were laid on the stalks 

 of jj^rain in the tubes. I w as una])le to secure the hatching of any of 

 these eggs, or to find them in the held. Tliis species beconn-s lare 

 on small grains after early June, when they commence to head. It 

 evidently must migrate to some other plant, upon which it probably 

 la3s an egg, as I have been unable to find any record of the i^}i;g. 



ApJiis avemv Fab, (?) — Specimens determined by Mr. Th. Pergande 

 as tliis species were found on small grains early in .Ianuai>' com- 

 monly throughout the grain belt of the State and sometimes in con- 

 siderable numbers. Several generations were reared up to Juiu^ 1. 

 This species remains near the surface of tlie soil, largely at the 

 bases of the leaves. In May it was found on the roots of John- 

 son grass, and it was often found onthecrownof a grain plant. The 

 si)ecimens I have do not. agi'ee with the desei-ii)tiiin of I-'abi-ieius, Init 

 are given umler this six'cies ui)on Mr. Pei'gande's authority. 



Apliis inaidis Fitch was i-eceived upon barley which ii had damaged 

 in January and May. I have iu)t noticed it on any othei- small grain. 

 In August it becomes al)Uinlaid on corn ami later on soighum. some- 

 times doing considerable dannige. 



The chinch bug {lUissns JcucopU rns) has been the ni(»i serious 

 iMse<'t i)est of corn in Oklahoma an<l north 'i'exas for many yeais. 

 In I'.iDl ami IW-l drought and chinch bugs catised a practically total 

 failure of the corn crop in the larger part of north Texas. 'I'his year 

 the ])ugs appeared in large numbers upon the corn as soon as it 



" I am unable to detennine whether this is N. cerealU Kalt. or A' granarin Kby. 



Mr. Perjj:an<le informs me that he will shortly imhlish a i)ai)er in which these 

 characters will he defined. l"'^it to this time the two names seem to have l>eeu 

 used synonymously hy American writers. 



