238 



light yellow, as shown in Fig. 52, b. The head and forepart of the thorax 

 are red, varyiug from light to dark. The underside of the body is bright 

 red, with the segments outlined by narrow light-yellow bands. The 

 antennae are black, as are also all tibia? and tarsi; the femora or thighs 

 are red. The beak is red, except the last joint which is black. All of 

 these colorational markings vary considerably in intensity. 



Number of Broods and Hibernation. — We can make no just estimate 

 of the number of annual generations. Wherever the Eed Bug is ob- 

 served it is found in nearly all stages, and individuals have never been 

 carried through their life round. Occurring apparently only in sub- 

 tropical localities, it breeds steadily all the year round, and insects of 

 all stages are to be found in December and January. 



Work of the Insect on Cotton — The Cotton plant seems to be the origi- 

 nal food of this species. Mr. Glover's statement concerning its method 

 of work on Cotton is as follows : 



It draius the sap from the bolls by its puucture, causiug them to become diminutive 

 or abortive ; but the principal injury it does is by sucking the juices of the seed and 

 boll, and then voiding an excrenientitious liquid which stains the cotton fiber yellow 

 or reddish, and very much depreciates its value in the market, the stains being in- 

 delible. (Ann. Kept. Dept. Agr., 1858, p. 271.) 



Of late years the damage done to cotton has not caused much com- 

 plaint, and indeed Florida is the only State which has ever suffered to 

 any extent by the damage which this insect does to this crop. 



Work of the Insect upon the Orange. — Glover, writing upon this species 

 as late as 1875, does not seem to have ever known it to damage oranges, 

 as otherwise he would undoubtedly have mentioned this habit. Shortly 

 thereafter, however, the Red Bug acquired the habit which today makes 

 it a serious enemy to the orange crop in Florida. This habit was first 

 called to the attention of this Department in December, 1879, when Mr. 

 S. W. Carson, of Fort Meade, Fla., wrote : 



I send you to-day some bugs which are excessively injurious to sweet oranges after 

 they ripen. The tree from which these were taken had thousands on it. They set to 

 sucking, and never cease until the rind is punctured to the pulji ; soon decay sets in, 

 and the fruit drops. Scores will fall off in twenty -four hours. We are ruined in the 

 orange culture if they continue. 



In the early spring of 1880 Professor Comstock, then Entomologist of 

 the Department, visited Florida and paid some attention to this insect. 

 He ascertained that the principal injury was done where cotton was 

 l)lanted in close proximity to orange trees, and learned of one instance 

 where cotton was planted between the rows of orange trees with the 

 result that nine-tenths of the oranges were destroyed. As Mr. Hub- 

 bard's Report upon Insects affecting the Orange is out of print we may 

 quote his excellent general reu)arks on the damage to Orange: 



In January and February, if the weather is mild, the Red Bugs desert the fields 

 where they have lingered upon the dead trash and waste of the cotton, and suddenly 

 make their appearance in the orage groves. Usually this takes place only in groves 

 adjoining fields that have been planted in cotton ; but, as they are strong fliers, the 



