9 FARMERS’ BULLETIN 162. 
black on the wing covers. Others will recognize the insect from the 
description given above and its dull gray body, which is black beneath 
and half covered by its whitish wings. The young are wingless and 
may be recognized from their occurrence with the adults. 
GENERATIONS AND FOOD HABITS. 
The number of generations, or ‘broods,’ produced annually 
depends upon the temperature, the latitude, and the season. At 
Garden City, Kans., there are at least five. The early spring and 
the late fall broods deposit their eggs in the surface cracks of the 
soil and in pulverized soil. During the hottest weather they thrust 
their eggs among the clustered parts of plants, such as the heads of the 
great-flowered gaillardia,! the flowering parts of carpet-weed,? and 
the glumes of “‘stink-grass”’ or strong-scented love-grass.° 
When the young are hatched they feed almost exclusively on 
weeds, especially on pepper-grass,t shepherds-purse,° thyme-leaved 
spurge,® Russian thistle,? and sage-brush.6 Monolepis nuttalliana 
(R. & S.), which has no common name, is also included in the list of 
food plants. At maturity the adult bugs scatter over all vegetation. 
Tf drought prevails they are compelled to gather on cultivated crops, 
preferring crucifers or cole crops and beets, but they have been 
observed feeding on corn and kafir. Seed beets during the second 
year’s growth suffer especially. 
While feeding, the false chinch bugs congregate in large numbers 
on a few plants. Here they remain until the sap is exhausted and 
the plants wilt, after which they collect on such other plants.as are 
growing close by. When disturbed, the adults dart quickly to the 
ground or to adjoining plants. Those alighting on the ground crawl 
to plants when the disturbance ceases. 
CONTROL MEASURES. 
DESTRUCTION ON WILD PLANTS. 
The false chinch bug may frequently be controlled by destroying 
it on its wild food plants, and since the effect on such plants need not 
be considered, this may be accomplished satistactorily by burning, 
which is particularly effective when there is enough dead and dry 
vegetation on the ground to carry fire. This will compass the 
destruction of many of the adults as well as great numbers of the 
young. Burning may be facilitated by scattering straw or similar 
dry material over the infested area, and when the insects are massed 
on weeds or clumps of wild vegetation they can be destroyed by the 
use of a strong-blast gasoline torch. The best type of torch, costing 
1 Gaillardia pulchella Foug. 4 Lepidium virginicum L. 7 Salsola tragus L. 
2 Mollugo verticillata L. 5 Bursa bursa-pastoris L. 8 Artemisia tridentata Nutt. 
3 Eragrostis major Host. 6 Chamaesyce serpyllifolia Pers. 
