The Chinch Bug and Its Control. ity 
begin to hatch in late April, from 10 to 25 days after being laid, and 
continue hatching until June, varying with the locality. - 
The young bugs, hatching in large numbers in May and June, live 
in the wheat until it begins to ripen and dry, when they leave it, 
sometimes in armies, crawling on foot to the nearest corn, kafir, or 
sorghum field. Here they gather on the first rows in dense masses 
and do the greatest damage of the year. Their habit of remaining 
together in populous colonies is responsible for the more severe in- 
jury such as the killing of the plant outright. A favorite location 
for the bugs is on the brace roots of corn, which they sometimes 
weaken so much that the corn falls down. They grow and feed from 
the latter part of April until July, or for about 3 months, during 
which time they outgrow and shed their skins several times. Collec- 
tions of these gray cast skins may often be found upon corn and other 
crops where the young chinch bugs have occurred in numbers. 
GENERATIONS. 
The young usually are accompanied in their migrations by some of 
the overwintering adults and some adults of the first summer genera- 
tion. The last of the overwintering adults usually die by early July. 
The adults of the first summer generation usually mature from the 
first half of June to the latter half of August and deposit eggs 
throughout most of this period. The eggs develop into second-gener- 
ation adults from the middle of August to the last of October. The 
second generation of adults deposits eggs in August, September, and 
October, many of which hatch, thus beginning a third generation 
which, however, appears never to develop beyond the nymph stage 
and not to survive the winter. Thus it is seen that, at least over most 
of the range of the long-winged form, the chinch bug has but two 
full generations, and in the southern portion of its range a partial 
third generation annually. In the eastern portion of the country, 
where the short-winged form prevails, it is not certain that there is 
more than one generation annually. 
Throughout the Middle West, where the chinch bug does its great- 
est damage, crops suffer from two attacks annually, although the 
second attack is not usually noticed. It must be remembered, how- 
ever, that this later attack is of the utmost importance, for if there 
are but few of the second generation developing to adults there can be 
no serious outbreaks the following season. 
Oviposition ceases toward the end of August in the northern part 
of the chinch bug’s range and the latter part of October in the south- 
ern portion. The insects congregate in October or early November 
in temporary shelter in corn and fodder shocks and in the stubble, 
where they feed until the first few cool days of fall. The young 
