1923. } Anatomy and Bionomics of Red Cotton Bug. 17 
HaBits AND GENERAL AccouNT. 
The red cotton bug often termed as one of the cotton 
stainers, is known by various vernacular names in different 
parts of India; Chainpa (Punjab), Bania ie as: del Behna 
(Cawnpur), Kappa Poka (Orissa), Tola Poka (Dacca), Lal 
Chingum (Central Provinces), etc., ete. 
It is generally met with in iniieee in winter it hides in 
crevices of the earth. In those parts of India where there is 
no severe winter, it can be found throughout the year. In 
the Punjab it is seen from the end of February to the middle 
of November, sometimes even later. 
As the name implies, it is one of the specific pests of 
cotton ; it sucks the juice from the green bolls, and when they 
open, it attacks the young oily seeds, making the lint dirty 
. With its yellow excreta. It prefers young pods of ‘ Bhindi’ 
Hibiscus esculenius (Lady’s finger) to cotton bolls, hence the 
former is used as a trap-crop in cotton fields. In a cage con- 
taining equal number of bolls and pods (both green) the number 
of insects gathered on the pods and bolls was in the ratio of 
20 : 12. It does not restrict its activities to cotton and 
‘ Bhindi’ only, but attacks other Malvaceous plants also which 
have juicy, succulent and oily seeds, e.g., silk-cotton tree, etc. 
The insect is of a deep red colour, with ochraceous wings. 
Head, rostrum, anterior transverse pronotal callosity, the first 
joint of the antennae and the abdomen are sanguineous. The 
apex of rostrum, scutellum and the spot of corium, membrane 
of the hemelytra, the second wing, the tibia and tarsi of the 
legs and the eyes are black. The anterior collar of the prono- 
tum, the anterior margin of the prosternum, posterior margins 
of the sternal and abdominal segments and the spots at the 
bases of the legs are creamy white. The pronotum and the 
corium are ochrace eous 
develo wings, scarcely flies. Jt runs pet and travels from 
plant to plant by this mode rather than by flying. In move- 
ments the first pair of legs points forwards, the second outwards 
and the third backwards. 
Dysdercus singulais can live waicat food and air for a 
conanleewtie length of time, for example, of three individuals 
of each sex kept in an empty pill box (65 cm. high and 
7°5 cm. in diameter) one male and female remained alive for 84 
hours. 
During spring and summer, when food is plentiful, copu- 
lation takes place; in this process the heads of the pair are 
turned towards opposite sides. Copulation may last as long 
