18 
The insects damage the leaf by sucking the cell sap through their 
beaks. The infested leaf soon becomes yellowish in color and some- 
what wilted, and the older leaves eventually split in places, so that 
they become very ragged. The immature specimens of the bug live 
on the underside of the leaves, but the adults live both above and 
below. The full-grown specimens are partial to shade, and may be 
observed feeding close to the margin of a shade thrown by an over- 
hanging leaf. Experienced tobacco growers say that leaves which 
have been badly infested with the ‘‘suck-fly” are very difficult, if not 
impossible, to properly cure. Mr. Quaintance says that the eggs are 
deposited singly in the tissues of the leaf, and mainly in the smaller 
veinlets. He finds that the egg state lasts about four days, and that 
in Florida the entire life cycle of a given generation is only about 
fifteen days. He was unable to keep the adult insect alive in a breed- 
ing cage for more than six days, but we have kept them in Washing- 
ton City for at least a month. 
REMEDIES. 
This, again, is an insect against which clean culture will be reason- 
ably effective. A thorough cleaning up of the fields and burning of 
the trash in the autumn are measures which should be adopted when 
the insect is abundant. Actual test experiments with different insee- 
ticides were made by Mr. Quaintance, who found that a concentrated 
solution of nicotine, diluted with sixty parts of water, will kill a large 
proportion of the full-grown insects and many of the young. He 
advises that this spray be applied early in the morning, as at that 
time the insects are less active. Early set trap plants will probably 
be an advantage in concentrating the hibernating insects, so that 
they can be readily killed. 
OTHER SUCKING BUGS. 
Several true bugs, which damage the leaves by inserting their beaks 
and sucking the juices, causing a shriveling or drying of the leaf in 
the same way as the harlequin cabbage bug injures the leaves of the 
cabbage, are found in the tobacco fields. Several of these plant bugs 
are known indifferently to tobacco planters as ‘‘ stink bugs,” on account 
of the disagreeable odor which they give out. We have never known 
any of them to be a very serious factor in tobacco growing. 
One of the commonest of these bugs in the more northern portions 
of the cotton belt is Pacilocystus diffusus Uhler. This insect is found 
in all seasons of the year, and when very abundant the remedies rec-. 
ommended against the ‘‘suck-fly”? may be used. The writer has found 
it very abundant and in all stages of growth in Virginia tobacco fields 
as late as November. 
Another species is a green bug shown at fig. 18, and which is known 
scientifically as Huschistus variolarius.. This is a species which was 

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