THE RED SPIDER ON COTTON. 43 



consumption of 83 niites per day. Although a number of eggs were 

 eaten, Geocoris did not seem to take readily to a diet of mite eggs. 



In the course of the experiments with this red-spider enemy it 

 developed that a certain percentage of its eggs are parasitized. A 

 scehonid, Telenomus sp., was reared from eggs collected in the field 

 and required a developmental period of 11 days. 



Capsidae. 



BJiinacloa forticornis Renter. A nymph of this bug about two- 

 thirds grown was observed in red-spider colonies in a cotton field, 

 actively feeding on mites.' It was transferred to a rearing cell and 

 kept under close observation. The bug showed 'a strong likmg for 

 red spiders and developed to adult in the cell. Table XII contams 

 the record of this individual. 



Table XIl.— Consumption of red spiders by Rhinadoa forticornis, Bateshurg, S. C. 



[Nymph collected Oct. 2, 1914.] 



First day (molted Oct. 3) 60 



Second day 72 



Tidrd day 71 



Fourth day 65 



Fifth day 61 



Sixth day 67 



Seventh day (molted Oct. 9) 46 



First adult day 39 



Total 481 



Total feeding days 8 



Average per day 60. 1 



Total consumption by last instar 382 



In eight feeding days this capsid bug ate 481 red spiders, or an 

 average of 60 mites per day. Two molts occurred during the obser- 

 vations, the final nymphal instar lasting six days and requiring, before 

 completion, the additional consumption of 382 adult mites. 



Reduviidae. 



A species of reduviid bug was seen commonly on infested leaves 

 during August and September at Bateshurg. Both the eggs and 

 nymphs were abundant at times in and about red-spider colonies on 

 tomato leaves. An egg collected August 10, 1914, hatched August 

 12 and the nascent nymph was immediately placed into a breeding 

 cell with red spiders. Seven mites were eaten the first day, 14 the 

 second, 7 the thiixl, 6 the fourth, 17 the fifth, 22 the sixth, and 18 

 the seventh. A total of 88 red spiders were destroyed in seven days, 

 making an average of 12.6 p<!r day. 



