18 



in fig. 17) which is very common around cotton fields. The eggs are 

 laid on the leaves and stems of cotton, cowpeas, goatweed and various 

 weeds. The larvae have also been commonly found on hops, beans, 

 and cowpeas, and seem to prefer the latter to cotton. 



Fortunately for the planter, the large majoritj^ of the catei-pillars 



are usually parasitized bj' 

 flies about the size of the 

 housefly and also by small, 

 wasp-like hymenopterous 

 insects. The parasitic flies 

 lay their eggs upon the 

 caterpillar, and the maggo;s 

 hatching from them uore 

 into the caterpillar and feed 

 upon its tissues, ultimately 

 killing it and emerging from 



Fig. n.— Uranotes melinus: a, dorsal view of butterfly; b, •, , i _ 1 If fl' 



butterfly, with wings closed; c, larva from side; d, pupa; ^^ ^^' ^'^^ pupa aS aOUlt niCS. 



e, egg— all somewhat enlarged, excepte, greatly enlarged Over 90 per Cent of the JunS 



(all except eredrawn from Howard). ^^.^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ 



killed. It is usually hardly worth while, therefore, to attempt to 



combat this insect, as it is not often seriously injurious in the same 



locality jesiv after year. Should remedial treatment be necessary, 



thorough dusting with Paris 



green would probably answer 



the purpose, as the young 



caterpillars, as do bollworms, 



feed to some extent upon the 



foliage before entering the 



Sijuares. 



Cotton "sharpshooters." — 

 Every summer late in July 

 and August frequent reports 

 are made of considerable in- 

 jury to cotton by '* sharp- 

 shooters,'" especially on low- 

 land. These insects are re- 

 ported to puncture the squares 

 and bolls, causing them to 

 drop prematurely, a small 

 black speck showing the point 

 where punctured. 



Very few planters, however, are able to identif}" the insect blamed 

 for the trouble. The insect which has commonly been credited with 

 this work is the glassy-winged sharpshooter {Homalodisca ti'lquetra 



223 



Fig 18.— Jloiitalodisca triquetra: adult at left, last stage 

 of nymph at right, young nymph below — all enlarged 

 (original). 



