728 ENSECTS A.BROAI). 



It is a North American insect, and is one of the pests of the 

 country, feeding in its larval state upon the roots of wheat, and 

 sometimes destroying half the crops of a district. On pulling 

 up a wheat-plant, hundreds of the minute eggs may sometimes 

 lie seen adhering to the roots, where the mother insect has 

 placed them, having made her way underground for that pur- 



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Fie. 471. — Micropus leucopterus. 

 (Blackish ; white wings ) 



pose. Fortunately the larva is killed by wet, so that a rainy 

 season will be of the greatest service by destroying the young 

 larva before they are able to produce young in their turn. 

 In droughts, however, the Chinch-bug increases with fearful 

 rapidity, and though the insect feeds chiefly on wheat, it does 

 not disdain other vegetables. In fact, as an aggrieved farmer 

 said of the insect, "nothing comes amiss to it." 

 The figure is necessarily magnified. 



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