590 INSECT PESTS OF FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD 



The Green Soldier Bug * 



The Green Soldier Bug has done serious injury to peaches 

 in Ohio and West Virginia as well as other localities in recent years 

 and is known as an important enemy of garden crops, particularly 

 Lima beans. It "stings" the developing pods of the beans, sucks 

 the sap from them and no beans develop. 



Its injury to peaches is done by sucking sap from the develop- 

 ing fruits from the time they are half-grown until they ripen. 



The adult is one of our larger green stink-bugs of the common- 

 stink-bug form and will be easily recognized from its name. 

 The nymphs are darker in color, ranging from blackish to yellowish- 

 green with black markings, depending upon the stage. The 

 nymphs are more likely to be observed doing the damage than are 

 the adults. 



This species is very similar to another southern form called 

 the southern green plant-bugf, which injures fruits but is more 

 important as a pest on truck crops. 



Control. It is fortunate that this insect is held in check by 

 climate and natural enemies since there are no artificial control 

 measures available as yet. Hand picking, or jarring into cans 

 of kerosene, might pay on a small scale in gardens. It appears 

 that the insect may be expected to occur in injurious numbers 

 only after mild winters and it is attacked by several parasites so 

 its occurrence as a pest is only occasional. 



The Plum Gouger f 



This is a native beetle which breeds upon wild plums and is 

 most injurious to native varieties. It is common throughout 

 the Mississippi Valley, but seems to be most injurious westward 

 and occurs in Colorado. The work of the beetles might be easily 

 mistaken for that of the curculio (p. 505). The adult beetle is 

 readily distinguished from the curculio, however, by lacking the 

 humps on the wing-covers. 



* Nezara hilaris Say. See R. D. Whitmarsh, Bulletin 310, Ohio Expt. 

 Station, and p. 236, Chapter XIII. 



f Nezara viridula L. See T. H. Jones, Bulletin 689, U. S. Dept. Agr., and 

 J. R. Watson, Bulletin 134, Florida Expt. Sta., also page 630, Chapter XXVII. 

 t Coccotorus scutellaris Lee. Family Curculionidce. 



