﻿PACKARD.] 
  

  

  THE 
  SQUASH-BUG. 
  

  

  771 
  

  

  Fig. 
  38. 
  — 
  Tachina 
  parasite 
  of 
  the 
  

   Squash-Beetle. 
  

  

  Descrijyiion 
  of 
  Melanosphora 
  d'uibroticm 
  Shimer. 
  — 
  Pitch 
  black. 
  Eyes 
  and 
  proboscis 
  light 
  

   brown. 
  Halters 
  pale 
  brownish. 
  A 
  crescentic 
  line 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  face 
  bordering 
  

   the 
  eye, 
  almost 
  meeting 
  in 
  the 
  medial 
  line, 
  silvery-gray. 
  Anterior 
  portion 
  and 
  sides 
  

   of 
  the 
  prothorax 
  in 
  some 
  lights 
  give 
  the 
  same 
  lustrous 
  gray 
  reflections 
  as 
  the 
  face 
  ; 
  in 
  

   others, 
  blackish. 
  Body 
  moderately 
  clothed 
  with 
  stiff 
  black 
  spines. 
  Wings 
  hyaline, 
  

   iridescent, 
  with 
  a 
  smoky 
  yellowish 
  shade 
  toward 
  the 
  base. 
  Expanse 
  of 
  wings, 
  0.24 
  of 
  

   an 
  inch 
  ; 
  width 
  of 
  wing, 
  0.06 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  ; 
  length 
  of 
  body, 
  0.13-0.15 
  of 
  au 
  inch 
  ; 
  described 
  

   from 
  five 
  dry 
  specimens. 
  — 
  (Shimer.) 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Shimer 
  has 
  also 
  fouud 
  a 
  .small 
  red 
  mite 
  

   attached 
  to 
  the 
  posterior 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  

   the 
  beetle, 
  which 
  is 
  very 
  annoying 
  to 
  its 
  host. 
  

  

  Remedies. 
  — 
  Covering 
  the 
  vines 
  with 
  cotton 
  

   or 
  a 
  high 
  frame 
  covered 
  with 
  muslin 
  or 
  milli- 
  

   net 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  sure 
  preventive, 
  while 
  pow- 
  

   dered 
  charcoal, 
  hellebore, 
  or 
  lime 
  may 
  be 
  

   sprinkled 
  on 
  the 
  leaves. 
  Mr. 
  Grer^ory, 
  says 
  

   the 
  American 
  Agriculturist, 
  "relies 
  upon 
  

   plaster 
  or 
  oyster-shell 
  lime, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  

   shaken 
  from 
  a 
  small 
  sieve 
  while 
  the 
  leaves 
  

   are 
  wet 
  with 
  dew 
  or 
  rain; 
  to 
  be 
  applied 
  as 
  

   soon 
  as 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  up. 
  He 
  objects 
  to 
  the 
  

   use 
  of 
  air-slacked 
  stone-lime 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  apt 
  to 
  be 
  too 
  caustic 
  and 
  injures 
  

   the 
  plant." 
  

  

  The 
  Squash-Bug, 
  Coreus 
  tristis 
  De 
  Geer 
  (Fig. 
  39).— 
  Sucking 
  the 
  sap 
  of 
  the 
  stems; 
  

   large 
  black 
  bugs, 
  often 
  surrounding 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  the 
  stems 
  of 
  squash-vines 
  iu 
  

   August. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  squash-beetle 
  is 
  a 
  coleopterous 
  insect, 
  the 
  large 
  black 
  bug 
  

   which 
  is 
  so 
  abundant 
  and 
  destructive 
  to 
  the 
  squash 
  is 
  a 
  

   hemipterous 
  insect, 
  not 
  having 
  free-biting 
  jaws 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   beetles, 
  but 
  a 
  long, 
  slender, 
  sharp 
  beak, 
  lying, 
  when 
  at 
  rest, 
  

   on 
  the 
  breast, 
  which 
  it 
  thrusts 
  into 
  the 
  stem 
  or 
  leaf-stalks 
  

   of 
  its 
  food-plant. 
  

  

  I 
  extract 
  the 
  following 
  account 
  of 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  " 
  Guide 
  to 
  

   the 
  Study 
  of 
  Insects." 
  The 
  squash-bug 
  is 
  very 
  destructive 
  

   to 
  squash-vines, 
  collecting 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  around 
  the 
  

   stem 
  near 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  sucking 
  the 
  sap 
  with 
  its 
  stout 
  fig. 
  sg.-squash- 
  

   beak. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  large, 
  blackish-brown 
  insect, 
  six-tenths 
  of 
  Bug, 
  nat. 
  size. 
  

   an 
  inch 
  long, 
  and 
  dirty 
  yellowish 
  beneath. 
  It 
  hibernates 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  

   condition, 
  leaving 
  the 
  plants 
  in 
  October. 
  About 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  June 
  the 
  

   sexes 
  meet, 
  and 
  the 
  females 
  "lay 
  their 
  eggs 
  in 
  little 
  patches, 
  fastening 
  

   them 
  with 
  a 
  gummy 
  substance 
  to 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  leaves. 
  The 
  eggs 
  

   are 
  round 
  and 
  flattened 
  on 
  two 
  sides 
  and 
  are 
  soon 
  hatched. 
  The 
  young 
  

   bugs 
  are 
  proportionally 
  shorter 
  and 
  more 
  rounded 
  than 
  the 
  perfect 
  

   insects, 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  pale 
  ash 
  color, 
  and 
  have 
  quite 
  large 
  antennae, 
  the 
  joints 
  

   of 
  which 
  are 
  somewhat 
  flattened. 
  As 
  they 
  grow 
  older 
  and 
  increase 
  in 
  

   size, 
  after 
  molting 
  their 
  skins 
  a 
  few 
  times, 
  they 
  become 
  more 
  oval 
  in 
  

   form, 
  and 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  their 
  bodies 
  gradually 
  acquires 
  a 
  dull 
  ocher- 
  

   yellow 
  color." 
  (Harris's 
  Treatise). 
  The 
  young 
  attack 
  the 
  leaves, 
  causing 
  

   them 
  to 
  wither. 
  Successive 
  broods 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  appear 
  during 
  the 
  sum- 
  

   mer. 
  The 
  odor 
  of 
  this 
  bug 
  is 
  very 
  offensive. 
  Professor 
  Verriel 
  has 
  found, 
  

   with 
  the 
  assistance 
  of 
  Prof. 
  S.'W. 
  Johnson, 
  of 
  Yale 
  College, 
  that 
  the 
  

   odor 
  of 
  this 
  and 
  other 
  hemipterous 
  insects 
  bears 
  the 
  most 
  resemblance 
  

   to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  formate 
  of 
  amylic 
  ether. 
  It 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  this 
  substance 
  

   is 
  its 
  most 
  essential 
  and 
  active 
  ingredient. 
  

  

  Remedies. 
  — 
  This 
  insect 
  is 
  so 
  conspicuous 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  readily 
  be 
  con- 
  

   trolled 
  by 
  hand-picking, 
  especially 
  when 
  fully 
  grown. 
  

  

  