SB 
818 
C578 
ENT 
No. 28, SECOND SERIES. 
_aited States Department of Agriculture, 
DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. 
THE BOX-ELDER PLANT-BUG. 
(Leptocoris trivittatus Say.) 
GENERAL APPEARANCE AND METHOD OF WORK. 
This is a plant-bug of the shape indicated in the figure, which, when 
full-grown, is nearly half an inch in length and of a dark gray color 
marked with red. In its 
sarlier stages the red pre- 
dominates, that being the 
color of the exposed body. 
It breeds frequently in enor- 
mous numbers upon the 
box-elder (Negundo negun- 
do), becoming more numer- 
ous in the autumn than at 
other seasons. The bugs 
congregate in groups upon 
the trunks of these trees, 
and migrate in search of 
hibernating quarters to 
fences and the sides of 
houses, frequently entering 
houses and other buildings 
and stowing themselves Fig. 1.—Leptororis trivittatus: a, eggs enlarged, natural 
0 ° Q size above; b,c, d, different stages of immature bugs; e, 
away for the winter in pro- adult—all enlarged, natural sizes indicated by hair lines. 
r (All after Marlatt, except e, which is original.) 
tected places. They suck 
the juices of the leaves and more tender growth of the box-elder tree, 
and have been reported as damaging fruit, such as peaches, plums, 
and apples. 
DISTRIBUTION. 
In 1880 the insect was known from Colorado, Arizona, California, 
Kansas, Missouri, Utah, and Mexico. Professor Popenoe, writing in 
1880, recorded its abundance upon box-elder at Manhattan, Kans. 
Dr. Lintner, in 1887, showed that it had not been recorded west of the 
Mississippi River or north of Missouri. In 1881, however, it had been 
received at this office from Sioux City, lowa, from Mr. D. H. Talbot, 
who, writing under date of November 2, 1881, stated that it was very 
numerous that autumn and that many specimens were caught in his 
