﻿698 
  

  

  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  harvest 
  I 
  was 
  not 
  able, 
  with 
  the 
  most 
  diligent 
  search, 
  to 
  find 
  one. 
  At 
  

   harvest 
  I 
  did 
  succeed 
  in 
  finding 
  a 
  few 
  in 
  some 
  localities." 
  This 
  disease 
  

   among 
  the 
  chinch-bugs 
  was 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  long-continued 
  wet, 
  

   cloudy, 
  cool 
  weather 
  that 
  prevailed 
  during 
  a 
  greater 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   period 
  of 
  their 
  development, 
  and 
  doubtless 
  was 
  in 
  a 
  measure 
  i)roduced 
  

   by 
  deficient 
  light, 
  heat, 
  and 
  electricity, 
  combined 
  with 
  an 
  excessive 
  hu- 
  

   midity 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere." 
  In 
  1868 
  it 
  again, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  editors 
  of 
  

   the 
  American 
  Entomologist, 
  "did 
  considerable 
  damage 
  in 
  certain 
  

   counties 
  in 
  Southern 
  Illinois, 
  and 
  especially 
  in 
  Southwest 
  Missouri." 
  

   In 
  1871 
  Dr. 
  Le 
  Baron 
  estimates 
  the 
  losses 
  to 
  corn 
  and 
  the 
  small 
  grains 
  

   in 
  the 
  Northwestern 
  States 
  at 
  $30,000,000, 
  and 
  Eiley 
  estimates 
  the 
  loss 
  

   in 
  1874 
  in 
  the 
  saipe 
  area 
  as 
  double 
  that 
  sum, 
  the 
  loss 
  in 
  Missouri 
  alone 
  

   being 
  $19,000,000. 
  Apparently 
  no 
  injury 
  was 
  sustained 
  in 
  Colorado 
  in 
  

   1875 
  from 
  this 
  insect. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  accompanying 
  map 
  showing 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  chinch-bug, 
  

   I 
  have 
  been 
  mainly 
  dependent 
  on 
  the 
  statements 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  and 
  other 
  

   entomologists 
  of 
  the 
  West, 
  and 
  the 
  reports 
  of 
  the 
  Agricultural 
  Depart- 
  

   ment. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  the 
  insect 
  on 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  Mount 
  Washington, 
  

   and 
  argue 
  from 
  this 
  fact 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  widely 
  distributed 
  over 
  the 
  colder 
  as 
  

   well 
  as 
  warmer 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  States. 
  It 
  probably 
  in- 
  

   habits 
  the 
  entire 
  United 
  States 
  east 
  of 
  longitude 
  100°, 
  and 
  will 
  proba- 
  

   bly 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  Western 
  Territories, 
  wherever 
  wheat 
  is 
  raised, 
  though 
  

   perhaps 
  the 
  altitude 
  and 
  peculiar 
  climatic 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  Eocky 
  Mount- 
  

   ain 
  Plateau 
  may 
  prevent 
  its 
  rapid 
  and 
  undue 
  increase. 
  

  

  Egg, 
  young 
  and 
  adult. 
  — 
  The 
  egg 
  is 
  minute, 
  oval, 
  0.03 
  inch 
  long, 
  four 
  times 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  

   broad, 
  and 
  wliite. 
  The 
  larva 
  is 
  at 
  first 
  pale 
  yellow, 
  afterward 
  becoming 
  red, 
  changing 
  

   with 
  age 
  to 
  brown 
  and 
  black, 
  and 
  marked 
  with 
  a 
  white 
  band 
  across 
  the 
  back. 
  The 
  

   adtllt 
  is 
  armed 
  with 
  a 
  powerful 
  beak, 
  instead 
  of 
  jaws, 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  punctures 
  the 
  stems 
  

   of 
  plants 
  and 
  sucks 
  in 
  the 
  sap 
  ; 
  it 
  sometimes 
  abounds 
  to 
  such 
  an 
  extent 
  as 
  to 
  travel 
  in 
  

   armies 
  from 
  field 
  to 
  field 
  ; 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  known 
  by 
  its 
  white 
  fore 
  wings, 
  contrasting 
  well 
  

   with 
  a 
  black 
  spot 
  on 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  wing, 
  and 
  is 
  about 
  three-twentieths 
  

   of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  length. 
  Certain 
  individuals 
  have 
  very 
  short 
  wings. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  4. 
  — 
  Adult 
  and 
  immature 
  stages 
  of 
  Chinch-Bug.— 
  a, 
  l, 
  eggs; 
  c, 
  newly-hatched 
  

   larva 
  ; 
  d, 
  its 
  tarsus 
  ; 
  e, 
  larva 
  after 
  first 
  molt 
  ; 
  /, 
  same 
  after 
  second 
  molt 
  ; 
  g, 
  pupa 
  — 
  the 
  

   natural 
  sizes 
  indicated 
  at 
  sides 
  ; 
  h, 
  enlarged 
  leg 
  of 
  perfect 
  bug 
  ; 
  j, 
  tarsus 
  of 
  same 
  still 
  

   more 
  enlarged 
  ; 
  i, 
  proboscis 
  or 
  beak, 
  enlarged. 
  (After 
  Riley.) 
  

  

  Remedies. 
  — 
  Burn 
  stubble, 
  old 
  straw, 
  and 
  corn-stalks 
  among 
  weeds 
  in 
  

   fence-corners 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  spring. 
  Eiley 
  advises 
  the 
  early 
  sowing 
  of 
  

   small 
  grain 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  and 
  suggests 
  that 
  the 
  harder 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  

   the 
  less 
  chance 
  there 
  is 
  for 
  the 
  chinch-bug 
  to 
  penetrate 
  to 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  

   the 
  grain 
  and 
  lay 
  its 
  eggs 
  thereon. 
  " 
  Hence, 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  fall- 
  

   plowing, 
  and 
  using 
  the 
  roller 
  upon 
  land 
  that 
  is 
  loose 
  and 
  friable." 
  

   Heavy 
  rains 
  and 
  cold, 
  damp 
  seasons 
  reduce 
  its 
  numbers 
  materially. 
  

   Where 
  irrigation 
  is 
  practiced, 
  fields 
  may 
  be 
  flooded 
  for 
  several 
  days 
  in 
  

  

  