135 



Thf; Hpocios !i|)|»!ir(Mit,ly lives tJi(; ytinv thfou^^h (ju vvlicul, and gni-SHns. 

 A rnij^nitiofi of vviii«z;''(| iri(|ivi(|ii;ils sorrict'nncH iakcH \>\:iCA'. in tfu; Soulhcrn 

 Statos in May. Oviparous Ifirnalcs wc^ro n-arod \>y Wchstcr in hrccdin/i;- 

 ca^OH on \vhr;at, wJii^ro thr-y first, apf)can;d <)<-U)\)('i- 21, and deposited 

 egfi;s iit, first, {flossy f^n-en, but l;it,er tnrniriM- to jet-l)la,ek. 



'Ill I, rillUPS J'A.MILY. 

 riiri'[)i(l(i',. 



'J'hcHO very rninute, slend(;r, deiicato in.socts, a .sixte(;nt,h of an inr-li 

 in length or less, belong to various Hpecies and rango in eolor from 

 hJafik to yellow. Several sfjecies have been found by us on eorn at 

 fliff(;rent times (May 25 to Sep- 

 t.(;rnber 2'.\}, in Horno cases iri- 

 jiu'inj^ af>f;reeiably the more- 

 (ielicat<i tisHueH of tli(; plant 

 by sucking out the sap. They 

 were frequently seen clustering 

 in the shelter of the base of 

 t,(i(- nppr'rrrir>st leaf and suck- 

 ing the saf; fnjrn thf; lower 

 I^art of tFie tassel. Tfiey infest 

 grasses in a similar way, there 

 causing tFie whitening of th(; 

 heads commonly known as 

 "silver-top." Tlie-ir injury is 

 similar in this rf;sf>ect to that 

 [>rocJuc(;d by leaf-ho[)pers and 

 other small suctorial insects. 

 The young resemble the adults, 

 (!XC(;pt in size and the lack of 

 wings; but thf; adult,s tfiern- 

 s<;lves are often wingless. 'Jlie 



wings, when present, are narrr)W, delicat,e, and feather-like, with long and 

 lieavy fringes (Fig. 120). By sucking out the sap the TkrijmUB cause 

 a whitf-ning at the point of injury, and as they move, in feeding, 

 l(!ngt}iwis(; fjf the leaf, a characteristic streaked appearance is prorJuced. 

 They an; frequently found on flowers and growing fruits, and feed to 

 some ext,ent on other insects. They are charged with injuring young 

 cottfjn bolls, and witfi causing that deformity of the strawb(;rry 

 known as "buttoning" of the fniit. This they flo by sucking out the 

 sap from the immature receptacle, thus preventing the filling out of 

 tfie berry. 



The winU;r is passed by them under convenient shelter, either as 



l''i'j. 120. I'Jut/tripH trilit-l. J,en({'-fi ahfiut one 

 twentieth inch; wiiif;, more hiKtily rn;i({"ifie(J. 



