20 



except that they lack wings. Two or three annual generations occur 

 in Texas. The insects are not usually common on cotton until mid- 

 summer, and even then are by no means as abundant as on the trees 

 mentioned. They are exceedingly fond of banana trees, sorghum, and 

 sunflowers, sometimes injuring the latter considerably. Records of 

 any injur}" to cultivated crops b}'^ the glassy-winged sharpshooter, the 

 most common species on cotton, are exceedingly rare and doubtful, 

 andthere is no evidence whatever for considering it an enemy to cotton. 

 The cotton leaf-bug {Oalocoris rapidus Say). — This insect was the 



Fig. 22.— Cotton leaf-bug, Calocoris rapidus: «, mature bug; b, young nymph; 

 c, fourth stage of nymph; d, fifth stage of young (original). 



cause of considerable damage in northern Texas in August and Sep- 

 tember, 1904. It punctured the squares and young bolls, either 

 causing them to drop, or making the boll.s 

 shrivel or decay where punctured. The punc- 

 tures in the bolls are indicated by small round 

 black spots resembling diseased places, which 

 gradually become larger and sunken (fig. 23). 

 This insect has been known as a common in- 

 habitant of cotton fields for many years, but 

 injury seems to have been rare. It may be 

 readily recognized b}^ the bright red spots just 

 beyond the middle of the wing. The young 

 are shown in figure 22, and are light green 

 marked with red. Several annual generations 

 of the insect occur, but its habits outside of 

 the cotton field are unknown. No successful 

 means of combating it has yet been devised. 



Other plant-bugs. — Similar injury to bolls, 

 causing black spots and shrinking or decay, is caused bv the large 

 green plant bugs varioush' known as "pumpkin bugs," "stink bugs" — 

 from the ver}'^ disagreeable odor emitted — and by other local. names. 



223 



Fig. 23. — Cotton boll showing 

 punctures of Calocoris rapidus 

 (original) . 



