Circular No. 149. 



Issued April 8, 1912. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



L. O. HOWARD, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. 



THE COTTON STAINER, 



{Dysdercus suturellus H.-Schf.) 



By W. D. Hunter, 

 In Charge of Southern Field Crop Insect Investigations. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The cotton stainer (Dysdercus suturellus H.-Sclif.) is the only 

 representative in the United States of a large group of species which 

 includes the most important enemies of cotton in tropical countries. 



Fig. 1. — The cotton stainer (Dysdercus suturellus): a, Nymph, or larva, first stage; 6, nymph, 

 second stage; c, nymph, third stage. Enlarged. (From Insect Life.) 



There are 28 species of the genus known in the Americas. The 

 form which occurs in the United States is not of very great impor- 

 tance, on account of its local restriction, but in Florida it is un- 

 doubtedly the most important cotton insect that exists at present. 

 It has been known as an enemy to cotton in that State for many 

 years, but has never shown any tendency to spread to other regions. 



27726°— 12 1 



