ls2 maine agricultural, experiment station. iqoi. 



The Chinch Bug. 

 Damage in western Maine. Description and remedies. 



The chinch bug is a blackish insect, from one-eighth to one- 

 sixth of an inch long, and about one-twentieth of an inch broad. 

 When disturbed it emits a characteristic "stinkbug" odor. Two 

 forms may be distinguished according to the length of the wings, 

 which are white and thin, almost like tissue paper. The long 

 winged form has wings covering the whole of the abdomen or 

 back and colored at the center, of each outer edge by a black 

 diamond shaped spot. The short winged form has wings reach- 

 ing only about half the length of the abdomen and looking like 

 a short, whitish letter X laid on the middle of the back. Both 

 of these forms hide during the winter in favorable places, and 

 during warm weather in spring, probably the latter part of May 

 or early June, make their way to places suitable for laying their 

 eggs. These are whitish in color, about the size of the eye of a 

 fine needle, and are laid among the roots and bases of the stems 

 of grass and grain. Each female bug may lay during two or 

 three weeks from 300 to 500 eggs. These hatch out in about 

 two weeks and the young reach maturity about four weeks later, 

 working in the meantime about the roots of the grass. The older 

 larvae and the adults work usually on the stems of the plants, 

 sucking the sap and thus causing the plants to wither and finally 

 to die. 



Complaints received at the Experiment Station during the 

 summer indicated that the chinch bugs were doing considerable 

 damage to the grass crop in western Maine. An examination by 

 the assistant zoologist of the station into the conditions existing 

 in the town of Fryeburg during the latter part of September 

 showed that the chief injury was to timothy and hungarian grass, 

 although corn and oats were in some instances attacked, as was 

 also witch grass and barn grass. Timothy was completely killed 

 over areas varying in size from a few square yards to others of 

 several acres. In some instances clover and witch grass had 

 grown up in these spots. Barn grass growing among corn was 

 completely killed and witch grass was killed to the ground, but 

 grew up again as the bugs passed outward. 



