192 



PESTS OF GARDEN AND FIELD CROPS 



will reveal the peculiar-looking eggs, like white barrels with dark 

 hoops. 



The adults spend the cold weather in rubbish or other shelter, and 

 become active very early in the spring, feeding first on wild mustard 

 and other weeds of the same family. There are several generations in 

 the South. In the fall the bugs feed until driven in by cold weather. 



The most important control measure is a thorough cleaning up early 

 in the fall, as soon as the crops are harvested, combined with an early 

 planting of trap crops in the spring, on which the bugs will congregate 

 and where they may be destroyed by spraying with 25 per cent kerosene 

 emulsion or with pure kerosene. Kale or mustard are good traps. 

 After the bugs are on cabbages they cannot be killed by spraying 

 without at the same time injuring the plants. 



The Tarnished Plant-bug {Lygus pratensis Linn.) 



Truck crops of all kinds are injured by a small, brownish, sucking 

 bug. Both in its earlier stages and as a winged adult, it sucks the 



juices of the leaves or tender stems. 

 The mature bug is about one fifth 

 of an inch long, and somewhat 

 obscurely marked with dull yellow 

 and brown. 



The young nymphs may be 

 killed with a contact insecticide 

 such as 7 per cent kerosene emul- 

 sion or tobacco extract. The 

 winged adults are too active to 

 make this treatment effective. 

 Thorough cleaning up of all rub- 

 bish and crop remnants in the fall 

 is the only other means of con- 

 trol. 



The False Chinch-bug (Nysius ericce Sch. {angiistatiis Uhl.)) has 

 similar habits. There are various other species that occasionally are 

 troublesome. Control measures are the same. 



Fig. 240. —The Tarnished Plant-bug. 

 Enlarged and natural size. Orig- 

 inal. 



